


Blind Mans Bluff

by DesdemonaAngel



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: (Bad Ass), Adventure, Deception, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Humor, Magic, Misunderstandings, Mystery, Oh look a spider, Romance, Sarah learning to be BA, Suspense, bits of humor tossed in, its not all drama, sorcery, well not really because Jareth's a butt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-05-26 20:36:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 35,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6254956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesdemonaAngel/pseuds/DesdemonaAngel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sarah encounters the Blind Beggar in the Labyrinth through a different scenario, but who is he really? And when an evil from the past comes to collect what its due, can Sarah and the Beggar prove that their wills are strong and their kingdoms are great enough to overcome dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, or will the truth be to much to handle?</p>
<p>*UPDATE! All current chapters are now posted.*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Blind Mans Game

**Author's Note:**

> You can also read it here on my FF.net account here: https://www.fanfiction.net/~derdrathebrave  
> Hope you enjoy, leave a comment if you do.
> 
>  
> 
> An interaction that's more than what it seems.

Sarah huffed indignantly and pushed a strand of hair out of her face with a bit more force than was necessary. Hogwart had disappeared almost as soon as they were out of the oubliette leaving her to fend for herself amidst the so called "False-Alarms."

"Don't go on!"

"This is not the way!"

"Abandon all Hope!"

"Turn back before it's too late!"

Twisting and turning until her head spun Sarah knew that getting out of this place was starting to look impossible after all.

"Go back while you still can!"

"Take heed and go no further,"

"Beware! Beware!"

Their voices echoed tauntingly through the tunnels and bounced off every rock wall. She covered her ears with her hands even though they still echoed off the inside of her skull.

Gritting her teeth together she finally exploded "WILL YOU ALL SHUT UP!"

There was silence.

Opening her eyes Sarah saw that all the faces had indeed stopped their ranting at her. Finally, something was going her way in this place. Looking around her she picked the closest of the False-Alarms to question.

"Well, that wasn't very nice." It harrumphed at her. She got the strongest suspicion that if it could it would turn its stoney nose up.

"Sorry, I just couldn't think with all of you going on like that," she said feeling only a little bit sheepish.

"Well its our job. Don't kill the messenger."

"Uh…right. Hey listen, do any of you know the way to the center of the Labyrinth?" she asked hopeful. It rolled its eyes dramatically. "Does it look like we get around enough to see up there?" Several other faces snickered in the dark. Sarah blushed hotly in frustration.

"Dammit, I'm getting nowhere like this. Can you at least tell me a good direction to go so I can get out of here?" she groaned.

"Well I think—"

"No, no you should go—"

"Let me handle this—!"

Another cacophony started up again wile Sarah dropped her head into her hands dejectedly.

"Psst, Miss!" she jumped at the face addressing her to her left. "You might want to follow that," it rolled its eyes in the direction of the dirt floor just as a crystal ball rolled past her feet. Saying a hasty thanks to the carving Sarah followed it out of the corridor and further into the tunnels, the sound of the faces dying away.

Sarah finally broke through the twisting tunnel it had led her down and saw that it opened into a more linear looking alleyway of sorts. A beggar holding a rusty tin cup squatted with his back to the mildew encrusted wall behind him. The crystal orb bounced lively and landed into the cup with a soft metallic clank.

The beggar lifted his face up at the sound of Sarah's approaching footsteps. She could see he wore rags and had some sort of bandage over both eyes showing that he was blind.

"Ahh, what have we here?" he asked. Instinctively Sarah shrank against the wall when his voice made her jump unexpectedly.

"I—uh—sorry I just—" she stuttered nervously.

"I'm blind not deaf, who may ye be?" questioned the beggar.

"Sarah!" she exclaimed a bit too sharply "I'm Sarah."

"Hmm, Sarah... you one of those Above people that runs the Labyrinth?" he asked.

"I don't know about being above or not but yes, I am running the Labyrinth. I need to get to the center, to the castle before it's too late." she answered.

"Really?" the beggar sounded interested. "And pray, what happens when it's too late."

"It's…my brother Toby…I wished him away. I'm so worried about him, I'm worried sick that I did this and he's going to turn into a goblin because of me," Sarah felt herself sob and tried to stifle any oncoming others that were building up for escape with her hand. Feeling a bit sorry for herself then, and for getting Toby into such a mess, she slid down the opposite wall and hugged her knees tightly to her chest. She hated crying, it made her feel weak and gross at the same time.

But the tears had already broken the dam.

"This wasn't how it was supposed to go! I should have been a better sister to him; he's all I've got!" Sarah hiccoughed. There was a tap on her shoulder. Looking up from her position on the floor she saw an old hankie being held out to her through the bleary curtain of tears. She took it gingerly, blew her nose and wiped her eyes dry.

The blind beggar had hobbled over from his spot and now settled himself to her right against the wall of the alley.

"What's all this then? Feel'n a bit overwhelmed an' such?" he asked. His voice reminded her of a ravens, the kind trained to speak with the deep throaty croaks and cackles.

"Sorry, it's just so much. Everything's just so much," she replied sniffling. His hat bobbed as he nodded sagely beside her. "Tis. Tis not an easy thing life, full of all sorts'o twists an' turns. Ya' never know what or who you're goin' to run into."

Sarah snorted. "Yeah, like the Goblin King."

He inclined his head at the name. "Oh, you two know each other then?"

"No!...sort of, but not anything friendly. He—he took Toby away to the castle at the center of the Labyrinth and said he'd give me my dreams if I forgot about him. He doesn't understand that I can't—I _won't_ abandon Toby like that," Sarah punctuated with her other hand that wasn't currently holding a hankie.

"Sounds like a real narsty git ta' me. But why wouldn't ya take your dreams? Dreams is precious things they is, scarcer than hens-teeth," inquired the beggar who waved his hands comically around her to emphasis.

Sarah gave a huffy laugh "Well…I guess I don't really want those kind of dreams to be real. Something's hurt more you have time to look back on them or they're so blown out of proportion that they look warped. I bet he never even saw what my dreams were to begin with," she said crisply.

"Maybe it's cause he ain't got none of his own," he said. Sarah felt she'd heard a touch of bitterness to his voice and wondered if she knew this character somehow.

"Dreams?" she asked shifting her butt on the dry earthen floor.

"S'right. You lose your dreams an' you lose yourself to other people's dreams till there's nothin' left." Now she heard the sadness clearly from his inflection. Could the Goblin King have done something to the beggar in the past? Could he have been the one to make him…blind? Had this been another runner that had gotten trapped in the confines of the Labyrinth? She would probably never know for sure.

"Ah well, life moves on and such. By the by, spare a favor pretty lady?" he said going into his beggar spiel once more, rattling his tin cup in her direction. Laughing gently, Sarah stood up from the ground and dusted the seat of her jeans clean before searching for something she could give him for his time and ear. Thinking of nothing else to give him, she took off the ring she wore and dropped it into his cup.

"I'm sorry it's not more—" she was cut short by Hoggles voice further back along the tunnels. Maybe things were starting to look better she thought walking back down the passageway. She stopped, remembering she still had the beggar's hankie with her. Turning back to return it however she saw that his spot on the floor was empty of his presence. Not wanting to stay any longer Sarah tucked it into her pants pocket and headed towards the sound of Hoggles grouching voice. From the shadows of the alleyway a Blind Beggar twirled a crystal ball, intrigued by the turn of events. He couldn't let her get too close to the castle, but perhaps some more interaction and guile was in order. Know your enemy to know their weaknesses. Yes, definitely more interaction…


	2. What will you trade me?

"And Hoggle—if she ever kisses you, I'll turn you into a prince." Jareth said in an almost serious tone of voice.

"You will?" Hoggle said suspicious.

"Prince of the Land of Stench!" Jareth laughed watching Hoggle shake his head and disappear around the corner of the hedge maze. In the distance he could hear the girls desperate pleas to her newest companion, a Labyrinth troll called Ludo. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity, Jareth summoned his disguise from earlier.

"Time to pay you a visit my dear," he chuckled as he slipped on the ragged cloak and mask.

* * *

"Damn, twice in one day!" Sarah growled under her breath. It had seemed safe enough when she and Ludo came through the door. But then he'd just disappeared without warning. And now she was alone. Again.

The woods seemed to fold in towards her even as she thought of the fact that she was alone. It made her skin crawl. This whole place didn't make sense!

"Ludo where are you! Oh, please come back!" she called again.

Nothing.

Until the bushes shook in front of her.

"Ludo? Is that you?" she said timidly with a small spark of hope. There was a loud groan, deep and hoarse from beyond. No, definitely not Ludo. Looking around her quickly, Sarah picked up a large fallen branch in case whatever was coming intended to make a meal out of her. She raised the branch and prepared to swing, her heart at the back of her throat.

The bushes parted. "Alms, alms for the poor! Spare a coin or two for a poor beggar!"

She couldn't believe it. It was the blind beggar who she'd met in the tunnels. Sarah relaxed and smiled at seeing a familiar face before she dropped the branch. The beggar swerved his head in the direction of her footsteps.

"Who be that?"

"It's me Sarah, from the tunnels?"

"Ahh, pretty doxy, it is! You got out of them tunnels, eh?" he said fumbling to find a comfortable spot on the fallen log beside him.

"Yeah, I got out. But now I'm lost again and I've lost my friends as well. The Labyrinth—this place—it's insane!" she blustered before taking a seat next to him. They sat quietly for a minute, letting the sound of the woods fill the space instead. It was calming; even though Sarah knew there wasn't a whole lot of time to waste she wanted to just stay and sit comfortably right there and relax.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Sarah pulled out the fabric from her jeans pocket "here's your hankie from earlier. Thank you for letting me talk." His head tilted to the side as if he were watching her somehow. "Nay, you keep it. Ain't got much use for it meself."

"But—"

" S'alright, really." He said pushing her hand away. Sarah pocketed it once again, although a bit confused.

"How did you get out of there so quickly, I was sure it would have taken a long time considering how impossible this place is." Sarah asked while propping her chin up from her sitting position on the log to watch him. The beggar wiggled his fingers and grinned. "Magic!"

She laughed. Of course. Just like the door Hoggle had made to get out of the oubliette.

"I could use some magic right about now. I just seems that the more I try to find my way to the castle the more lost I get." She sighed.

"Come, come now, where's your sense of adventure? Look round where you be. This place be full o' magic an' such! Ya need to get lost 'afore you find what ya need," he explained. Somehow it made as much sense as to what the Wiseman had told her.

"What like "The way forward is sometimes the way back?" sort of thing?"

"S'right."

"That makes as much sense as—well it just doesn't!" she pouted. The beggar had the audacity to laugh long and hard over that.

"You sound like a child who can't 'ave a sweetie! How old may ye be?" he croaked. Her face went hot; what was that supposed to mean?!

Sarah crossed her arms and turned away from the beggar. "I'll have you know that I'm fifteen, so old enough to not act like some spoiled, screaming, brat." She said haughtily.

"Indeed?"

"Yes."

"Well now, that is something," the beggar chuckled again. Her heart seemed to be fighting her brain on what she'd just said.

"Oh, who am I kidding? I am a spoiled brat! The way I acted cost me Toby, and now look where that's gotten us. What if…what if I don't make it in time? What happens if he gets turned into a goblin? I'll never see him again and then I really will be alone," she whispered to herself. Apparently the beggar had sharp enough ears to have heard her. Interesting…

"What's all this then 'bout being alone? Surely ya' got's parents?" he asked. Jareth watched through the fabric covering the masks eyes as she shrugged, her face blank and eyes listless.

"You know, I'm not really sure anymore. I use to have two parents that really cared for me, but that changed when my mom—!" she couldn't even finish.

"Oh. She leave you then?"

"Yeah, she did. And then my stepmother came into the picture. I couldn't believe my dad would just go and marry someone after only a few months of knowing them! I can't stand her! But then—Toby came into the picture as well…"

"You're brother?"

"I'd felt so alone without mom, and dad never seemed to have time for just me anymore. When Toby was born I felt so much love—I wanted to protect him from everything in the world that would hurt him, but at the same time I think I started to resent that he was the center of attention instead of me."

Jareth frowned. This couldn't be the same petulant girl he'd encountered at first, this just couldn't be. This Sarah was…sadder for lack of better words. There was no more of that fire he'd seen in her eyes when she dared defy his offer of dreams. This was a young woman who'd experienced loss at a time that could never be reordered. She may have gotten older but she hadn't really grown up yet. The revelation was surprising but not enough to alter his own plans.

"What about you? Do you…have anyone?" she asked timidly.

"Wha—eh, no! No I…I don't. I can't remember if I did or not to tell you honestly. Time moves differently here so I don't know anymore." It was as close to a truth as he would ever admit. And he would leave it there.

"That must be hard then," she said. He nodded slowly "Yes. Yes it is."

They sat again in silence; a few minutes had passed when it felt like forever stayed. A moment later he dug through the folds of the fabric he wore and produced what Sarah would only describe later as the most perfect peach in the whole world. It was beautiful and the aroma of ripe juice made her mouth water and stomach growl greedily. Her frustration was gone immediately and was instead replaced by hunger.

"Found the jackpot when I got out o'those tunnels. Mmm, the smell alone led me right to 'em." He smacked his lips together, ready to take a bite, but suddenly stopped mere inches from putting the soft flesh of the fruit to his lips.

"Bless me but I am a thick'un! Sittin' right next to a lady an' not offer'en her o' bite!"

"What?! Oh no, really that ok," Sarah said, hastily putting up her hands in the universal code of "no thank you". Who knew when his last meal had even been? Or what it had been; this place didn't exactly scream "Eat me, Drink me!"

"Oh come now, ya need all the strength ya can get if'n you're goin' ta plan a rescue. Here take it." Grasping her hand in his own, he deposited the perfect peach onto her palm. It was warm and the smell was intoxicating to her. She could only stare at it.

"I—I don't know what to say. Thank you."

He smiled and shrugged.

"But I think tis only fair that ya give me somethin' for it. A trade." There was always a catch and he loved to play his cards right each time.

Sarah didn't have anything left to give away. Hoggle—wherever he was now—had her bracelet and she'd already given him her ring. What more could she trade in exchange?!

"I—I'm sorry but I don't have anything left to—" she started but was cut short by his hand gesturing her to be quiet.

"See'n as I know where there be more o' those I can always get me another. How 'bout you trade me…" he put a finger to the side of his long nose in thought "…a kiss in exchange."

"What!?" Sarah nearly fell off the log at that. Oh this was just too good of an opportunity to pass up, Jareth thought himself fiendishly clever.

"Seems fair don't it?"

"Well I… I guess. Alright, a kiss in exchange then." Her face was so hot from blushing! She didn't have to do this though, she could just hand him his peach back and refuse flat out. This was probably a bad idea. He waited on the log facing her as if he didn't have anything better to do or places to go. Time was ticking by painfully every moment she wasted. Sarah bit her lip nervously for a split second before she realized that he hadn't said where he wanted the kiss; two could play at this game.

Smirking like the cat that'd got the cream, Sarah leaned forward slowly and sweetly kissed the cloth over where both the beggars' eyes should be. There she thought.

Unfortunately the mood was destroyed completely by an ambush of red and orange creatures jumping out of the bushes screaming bloody murder. Later, Sarah would wonder where the beggar had disappeared to when the chaos happened.

* * *

_*Jareth takes off disguise* "Bloody creatures! I'll toss the lot of them into the Bog for sure!_

_*Authoress* "Oh come on, the plot needs to keep rolling otherwise there wouldn't be a story."_

_*Jareth* "Hmph!"_

_*Authoress* "Sigh. All right I'll make it up to you later, I promise."_

_*Jareth* "... alright. Don't defy me."_

_*Authoress* "Who? Little old me? Never."_


	3. Reflection

Like most birds of prey, Jareth had an eye for pretty things. This might have explained his taste in eccentric clothing and the need to collect. Over time he had indeed made quite a collection of baubles and trinkets he kept stashed away privately so none of the goblins could steal his horde.

He'd played the role of blind beggar many times in the past, when people ran the labyrinth more frequently and children were wished away on an almost weekly basis. He'd been run ragged going back and forth between them that in the end he'd had to make more traps and riddle doors for the sake of a few hours of rest. Those had been the good days, business had flowed and everything seemed assured.

That was until the Aboveground forgot and moved on without him. Now the Labyrinth was nothing more than an abandoned outpost at the edge of the Underground. Really things had been so boring it was almost a blessing to have a little fun once more!

Currently Jareth was not doing that and instead paced the throne room admittedly as a multitude of goblins tried to entertain Toby. If one happened to cross the track he was making in the stone floor he'd kick them out of the way. The Goblin Clock ticked away in the corner, showing only four hours remaining.

Giving up on waiting, he meandered over to the circular window to perch and look over his domain. Lifting his right hand up to the light Jareth examines the ring that now graced his gloved pinky. Costume jewelry as it was called in the Aboveground, nothing but cheap materials had gone into making it. The gold band was fake and the ruby was nothing more than red glass. And yet…he wore it regardless.

She had willingly given it to him. Perhaps not in the same context as the situation had provided, but still, it was a gift none the less. Jareth could feel the emotions tied to it, subtle and innocent.

"Bah! What use have I for such a trivial thing?" he spat, twisting it off his finger, ready to chuck it out the window and onto the parapets below. And yet he somehow couldn't. His arm was reared back to throw it and—he just couldn't do it.

Tepidly, Jareth lowered his arm and gazed down at the little ring in his fingers. An intriguing gift from an intriguing girl, he thought and slipped it back on. Just to hold onto for now, nothing more.

A moment later Jareth grinned wolfishly to himself. She would be biting into that juicy peach any moment, and when she did, she would forget everything! No more Hogwash, or that Labyrinth Troll Ludo, and no more Toby!

No more anything.

With his mood restored he slid elegantly off the window and strolled back to his throne to wait for his next scene as the beggar to unfold.

* * *

As much as Sarah wanted to deny it, the ball gown was pretty incredible. Looking at herself in the reflective surface of the bubble wall, she could only be amazed at how it looked on her, like pearl with little crystals sew into it. Her dark hair a cascade of curls entwined with silver flowers. She couldn't remember what she'd been doing before all of this but it must not have been that important. It didn't feel like it had been, otherwise she would be here.

In a way it felt like the ball was meant for her; everyone wore such strange and fascinating masks along with what could only be described as decedent outfits. Sarah didn't think to wonder why it was she didn't wear a mask. The men wore silk jackets and powdered wigs, while the women wore long velvet gloves and dresses with necklines so deep and plunging it left little to the imagination.

She felt like she was floating amidst the swirl and laughter of dancing party goers in an almost trance like state. The crowd parted easily for her as if she were the guest of honor. Something flickered in the corner of her vision to her right. Turning slowly she saw him.

A man dressed in a deep blue frock coat and lace at his wrists, dark trousers and knee length boots to match, wearing a dark mask adorned by two spiraling horns had appeared next to her. He was so close in fact that she saw the masks eyes were gone and replaced by a grey silk scarf over them. He was blind. Fascinated, Sarah slowly reached out and touched the jeweled shoulder of his coat.

"Yes? I'm afraid I can't see you as it is," he gestured to his face with a grey gloved hand.

"No, I was just hoping you would be here," she said but not sure why. Had they met before? Did they know each other she and this blind reveler? The corners around his mouth shifted. This seemed to surprise him.

"Really? Well then, that is a lovely surprise isn't it?" he said, his smile genuine and bright. Sarah truly did feel like she knew him somehow, the familiarity pulling at the back of her mind. There was something open about him regardless of the blindfold, as if it let himself cease to be whoever he was without it. There was nothing secretive or harsh that might have been built up. He simply was himself.

"Care to dance?" he asked holding out is hand to her. She looked down at it unsure.

"I'm rather good without my eyes. Trust me." He assured. Anything could happen here she realized and placed her own in his without a second thought. They began to dance and spin lazily amidst the other dancers. She watched their feet regardless for the first few moments they were on the floor until she felt his fingers raise her chin up to his face again.

"No need. I promised didn't I?" he reassured her. She blushed. "How did you know?"

"A habit most of my partners have had when we've danced."  
"Oh…"

"Another reason I don't dance with just anyone."

"I wouldn't dance with just anyone either," she said. He quietly laughed.

"Perhaps, as we are dance partners, you might tell me about yourself sir," she said watching him curiously.

He could indulge a little; it was after all a fantasy. "Anything in particular you have in mind my dear?"

"Your eyes sir."

There was silence from him. She knew she'd struck a chord and quickly tried to take it back. "Forgive me that was—"

"No, no, its alright. Go ahead and ask, I'll try to give you an answer if I can." He replied

"It's just, you're so good at dancing. I wanted to know if you've always been blind," said Sarah hastily. He shook his head.

"I haven't always been blind. I can't remember how I became so, but I do know that it wasn't always the way it is now."

She hummed agreeing before adding "Doesn't this feel strange to you?"

Her partner tilted his head to the side; again in a familiar way that she knew.

"How so?"

"I—I don't know. Like a dream. But I've never dreamed anything like this before." He laughed warmly but not at her.

"Dreams are what you make them to be. Hold onto them tightly and passionately, each one that takes your fancy. Never let go of your dreams Sarah, not once or ever." He held her a bit tighter as he spoke.

"Wait…how did you know my—?!" She was cut off by the chiming of a clock striking the hour. Glancing quickly over his shoulder she saw that the clock face had thirteen numbers, and the chiming was for twelve! Something important was going to happen when the clock struck thirteen, something awful.

"Let me go."

"Why? Aren't you enjoying yourself?" It should have come out mocking but instead sounded more insistent. Like he was pleading to her silently to stay. She pushed harder against him, straining; she had to get away, right now!

"Let me go! I have to go!" she cried out over the music, watching now as the dancers encircled them and laughed manically as if it was some horrible joke. He tightened his grip around her waist harder, forcefully.

"No, stay and we'll have some more fun." His mask was warping right in front of her, ballooning and shifting weirdly and wrong. Sarah could think of nothing else but to get away. She pushed and pulled at him until her fingers caught the edge of his mask. She tore it away with all the force she could manage.

Instantly the blind dancer shoved her away from him and the other dancers as if she were red hot or a poisonous serpent to turn his back to her. Sarah turned and ran to the edge of the bubble and watched in horror as the dancers careened towards her in the mirror image behind her. Looking around desperately she found a party chair and flung it at the edge of the bubble.

Instantly everything was destroyed and she was falling down, down, down into darkness.

"I'm sorry!" Were her last thoughts.


	4. You hurt me so bad

Through Dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, Sarah had finally made it through the labyrinth, beyond the Goblin City, and to the castle with time to spare. Time she and the others she had encountered and befriended, Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus, planned on using to search the castle for Toby.

"Fair maiden, art thou sure that this is what you want to do?" asked Sir Didymus. In the short amount of time she'd come to know the fox knight Sarah appreciated his fierce concern for her. She nodded "We don't have much time so it's important to use it as best as we can. We need to split up and search the castle for Toby. He's blond and is wearing red and white striped footie pajamas."

"Right then. I'll check the East Wing," said Hoggle, now brandishing a goblin sword. She was glad he decided to follow her all the way here.

Ludo rumbled "Ludo…go…west."

"And I shall take the southernmost wing, my lady."

"I guess that leaves the North to me. If you guys find anything call out, ok?" They all agreed and split up to search the disturbingly quiet castle. Sarah mounted the steps towards the throne room two at a time, mixed feelings playing havoc with her thoughts. After she'd woken up in the junkyard she'd had some things to figure out. The dream, her blind dance partner, and the mysterious being the goblins called the Blind Beggar. She'd managed to squeeze out a little information from that one junk collector earlier.

_"Why don't you watch where you're going young woman?!"_

_"I—I'm sorry…I was just remembering something," she'd quickly apologized._

_The Junkwoman had shuffled forward a bit more, craning her neck up to eye Sarah dubiously. "Ehh, what's that dearie?"_

_"I remember a blind…man…"_

_The Junkwoman shook her head and continued to rummage amidst the scrapes of garbage. "You've seen him then, hu? Poor fool. He wanders around here from time to time looking for trinkets and such. Not much for conversation though,"_

_Sarah's head still spun slightly from hallucinations and peach dreams. "I've talked to him…I think…its all hazy."_

_"Hmmph! Says he don't know where he comes from, that one does. Just showed up here in the Labyrinth one day without a word; looked like he'd been dragged through hell and back."_

_"What happened?"_

_"Well, it was ages ago. Weren't many goblins around then and the castle had been abandoned for years. No one remembers who built it or lived in it before. Saw him wandering round the junk piles, I did. Said he was blind and couldn't remember where he'd come from, or family, or anything."_

_"No memory at all?"_

_Again the Junkwoman shook her head. "None. But now that you've mentioned him I remember seeing the Blind Beggar going through here earlier a few times. Always went through the gates into the Goblin City he did. Must'a been going up to that castle. Hasn't come back out for a while either; sure he ain't too happy with the Beggar." She said with doom and gloom in her old woman voice._

_"Who?" Sarah asked hesitantly, her head clearing as fear replaced it._

_"The King don't tolerate anyone going against his orders. Worse fate than the Bog for anyone he's particularly displeased with." The Junkwoman replied before wandering off to find more to horde._

After that Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus had appeared saying they'd searched the woods for her when she'd fallen behind them. They'd decided to search closer to the castle thinking she'd found a shortcut and would meet them there. Low and behold it had happened just like that, although not quite as she would have wanted it to go.

But there was almost no time left. She quickened her pace as she entered the throne room. Her hope dropped as she saw it was completely empty, no goblins, no king, and no Toby. It was dirty and gross from Goblin activity, and there were certainly plenty of dust bunnies, but no one was there. Maybe this was it she thought. I've come this far only to lose.

If it weren't for her new found resolve to keep her from crying Sarah would have surely broken down there and then like some meek fairytale princess. No, she was stronger than that; she knew that now for certain.

The Throne caught her attention or rather what was left on the stairs leading up to it. Slowly, almost afraid that it would come alive she picked up what looked to be a ratty blue drape of sorts with her thumb and forefingers. Something tumbled out from its folds and clattered to the grimy stone floor at her feet.

It was the beggar's tin cup.

It was true then. Jareth must have called him there to punish him for leading her further into the Labyrinth. He probably never even knew the peach he'd given her was enchanted! He'd been so friendly to her; he'd listened to everything she'd told him even if he didn't have too. And the Beggar was always there when she'd gotten lost or separated from her friends. He didn't deserve the fate Jareth had in store for him, it wasn't his fault!

There was only one other opening from the throne room. "The only way he could have gone with him and Toby. I'm coming, I promise!" She ran then, not daring to call back to her friends for fear of running out of what little time she had left. Sarah dashed up the winding stairs as fast as she could.

She had to rescue Toby. She had to know what had happened to her Blind Beggar. She had to win.

* * *

"Sarah beware. I have been more than generous with you up till now, but I can also be cruel." She could hear Jareth sneer at her. The Escher room was already starting to get to her as a wave of vertigo made her stumble up a flight of stairs in pursuit of Toby.

"Where is he and what have you done to them?!"

"Your brother is no longer your—"

"I know Toby is here. Where's the Blind Beggar!?"

Jareths voice hesitated. "He is…no longer with us."

Sarah froze midway through an arched opening stunned. It was too late.

"No…Please say it's not true…" she said shaking her head in disbelief. She'd failed him. Jareth took the opportunity to approach her behind her. If he could just stall for a few more minutes…

"You asked that the child be taken. I took him. You cowered before me. I was frightening. I have reordered time and turned the world upside down for you Sarah! Just let me rule you and you can have everything that you want. Fear me, love me, do as I command and I will be your slave for all eternity. Forget him…." Jareth watched her spin towards him, her eyes blazing with fury at the unfairness of it.

"Never!" she spat. She wanted to scream, cry, rush at him and push him over the edge of the platform, anything! But how would that solve anything in this place where he would just end up underneath her on another platform and continue his game. "I will never forget him; I've fought my way here to the castle to take back Toby and lost someone in the process. My will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom—"

Jareth raised his hand. "Stop! Wait, Sarah…think before you act."

She couldn't stand it anymore "There is no way in heaven or hell I would ever accept your twisted idea of dreams. There are no words to describe my depth of hatred towards you for what you've done in the name of dreams and you're so called generosity. You're too spiteful and wicked to know what any of those really mean!" she cried.

His face went through a range of emotions only to settle on wrathful. "Woe betide you my dear. But the game isn't over yet though." Jareth threw a crystal high above them and the world began to collapse as he did.


	5. What's Wanting

When Sarah opened her eyes she saw that she was standing in the nursery at Toby's crib. Quickly she flipped back the covers. Nothing. There was a soft noise behind her and she turned to see that Toby was crawling his way into her room.

Quietly she followed; not daring to breathe and break the illusion that she felt was being presented to her. Toby grasped the side of her bed and hoisted himself up on chubby baby legs to reach for Lancelot who sat at the end of it.

"Oh Toby," she sighed in relief. He turned to her, a look of expectation on his little face as if to ask if it was alright.

"Here," she said scootching it closer for his fingers to grasp "I want Lancelot to belong to you now." Toby pulled the old bear to his chest and plopped down on the floor when he lost his balance. Smiling, Sarah picked both Toby and the bear up to hug.

"I'm so sorry Toby. I'll never ever do that to you again, I promise."

"Sarah?" a voice said nearby. She saw a reflection of a girl holding a toddler in the mirror as well as Hoggle who had popped up behind her bed on the opposite side they were on in the mirror.

"Oh, Hoggle!" she exclaimed, overjoyed at seeing her friend.

"You alright Missy?" he asked worriedly. She nodded and adjusted Toby so they could sit down at her vanity and talk. "Yeah, I think. I'm not sure. But I think I won—I mean I got Toby back," Sarah bounced him as he stuffed the bears ear in his mouth happily. "I don't understand though. I didn't…I don't know. It was just so anti-climactic, that's all."

Hoggle scratched his head and nodded. "I don't like how it felt either but never look a gift horse in the mouth. You got your brother back and that's all the matters."

"Definitely."

"Fair Maiden! Thou art safe and sound!" Sir Didymus appeared in the mirror sitting at the end of the bed. Another and much larger imaged appeared as well, having to crouch down to be seen in the reflection. "Sarah get brother."

"Sir Didymus! Ludo! I'm so happy to see you. Are you all alright? What happened?"

"When we heard yon bell for the thirteen hour mark start to chime, the three of us couldn't find you anywhere. We were sure it was too late for both you and thy brother. But then this fellow appeared and said there was a portal nearby were we could see you again. And here we are!" Sir Didymus explained.

Sarah shook her head in disbelief "Wait, what fellow? Who are you talking about?"

"Beggar man," Ludo rumbled.

"What?! The Blind Beggar sent you here?" She cried. Toby fussed at the loud noise and Sarah proceeded to bounce him once again until he quieted down. He was alive? But how?! The King had said the beggar was dead or at least implied that he'd been done away with.

Hoggle nodded. "Just appeared out of thin air. Wasn't too sure about him at first but then we all appeared here like he said we would."

This was just getting more and more bizarre. "Hoggle, listen to me. When I was looking for Toby I ended up in the throne room and the Blind Beggars cloak and cup were there. I don't know what happened but if it really was him then the King was lying when he said he wasn't alive anymore."

"You thinking he escaped?" Hoggle asked.

Sarah nodded. "He must have. It's the only explanation. I guess that the King had used up a lot of his powers in trying to out-smart me. The Beggar could have slipped away when he realized I was coming. The King…Oh Hoggle, what if he comes after Toby?!"

"Why? You got him back, didn't you?"

"It's not that. But he told me before I ended up here again that it wasn't over. What if he wants revenge?!" she wasn't too keen on seeing the Goblin King again after her trip through the Labyrinth. And what if there was a second time? She didn't even want to think about it.

Hoggle crossed his arms over his chest and said gruffly "We would never let any harm come to you!" Ludo nodded. "Ludo protect Sarah."

Sir Didymus stroked his beard contemplatively. "Tis true he may seek vengeance on thee and is indeed a powerful sorcerer, but remember that he has exhausted his powers for now and will need time to regain them. I feel that it will take a while for that to happen. Not to worry my lady, for we shall protect thee to the death! And it will give us time to strategize a plan if he does mount an attack on thee."

Her relief was evident through the mirror. "You guys are the best friends anyone could ever ask for. Thank you…all of you."

They said their good-byes soon after, promising to keep in touch through the mirror and see what information they could come up with from their side on the Goblin King. Sarah, exhausted both mentally and physically, tucked Toby into his crib for the night and got herself ready to sleep as well. No sense worrying about the what-ifs that hadn't happened yet. At least that's what she told herself as she climbed under the covers.

The storm had stopped hours ago leaving a brilliantly sharp night sky affixed with stars and a full moon. The light of it could be seen on the rooftop of the neighbor's house across the street beyond the oak tree that grew near her window. She thought she heard an owl somewhere but wasn't sure. She wasn't sure of anything anymore, not now when she'd experienced something so surreal and fantastic. How would she ever look at life the same way as before? Sarah wondered if she still wanted too.

"Pretty Doxy?"

Groggily Sarah blinked; was there someone in her room she'd missed? That voice…

She cleared her throat softly and answered "Who's there?"

"Me." A match flicked an orange flame to life by her mirror as an old lantern was lit. The match was blown out with a gentle puff of air similar to how ghost stories would go out, for surely the person in her dark room now was an apparition. The same blue ragged cloak, large brimmed hat…wrappings over the eyes.

"The matter, sweeting? Goblin got your tongue?"

Sarah flung back the covers, nearly tripped over them in the process and launched herself at the Blind Beggar in an embrace. He nearly fell backwards from the force she propelled them both with. Her head fell in the crook of his neck where his collar was; she could smell the Labyrinth on him and everything it encompassed.

"Oh my god I thought you were dead! I was so sure you'd been killed by the King, I couldn't even think that you'd—you'd—"this time her tears were happy ones and she let them come. He was stunned. Not a few hours ago she'd rejected him on an almost demigod like level and now she was actually embracing him and crying.

Jareth had been enraged, insulted, and all manner of varying degrees of anger and spite towards this girl that was currently crying on his shoulder. He'd cursed her name from top to bottom of his castle, sent at least fifteen goblins to the Bog and eventually collapsed on his own bed in hurt. It had _hurt_ to be rejected, more so now that he knew her somewhat which was probably why it had pained him that much.

Jareth had lost all motivation and had just about resigned himself to his hot temper when he'd lifted his hand up and saw the ring on his finger once again, glinting in the light of the moon outside his window. For whatever reason he made his mind up about it he knew he'd let her win. But there was the singular detail of the larger game at hand.

He couldn't just let her think she'd won that easily. Oh no. On the contrary, he planned to make good on his promise. She'd won the match, but a larger game would be played from behind the scenes. When the next window of opportunity struck, he'd be there to watch as everything evaporated around her.

"I'm so glad you're alive," Sarah whispered close to his ear, bringing him out of his thoughts. She was? He awkwardly returned the embrace and slid his arms around her shoulders. "I can't believe this, it must still be a dream. Tell me I'm not dreaming," she said wiping her eyes, in doubt of her own vision.

Jareth held her at arm's length and looked at her, or as well as a supposed blind man could look at someone. "Ye aren't dreaming pretty one. I'm all right here, safe and sound, see?"

"How—I mean—how?" she asked excitedly. He tilted his head. "How what?"

"How did you escape him? I'd heard you'd gone into the castle and hadn't come out again, and that the Goblin King was doing something awful too you. And then my friends and the portal?! You have to tell me, please." Sarah said urgently; she had to have answers.

"Well, that's quite a story." You see the King had called me up to that castle o'his. He were in a foul mood, all thunder clouds and what. I won't deny it when I tell you that I was shakin' like jelly at hearing his voice. And he says to me "You there beggar, you're the one who gave that girl an enchanted peach."

"And I says "I don't know nothing about enchanted peaches your Goblin King sir but I did trade a peach with her earlier." You could'a felt the change in the room if you'd been there. "And pray, what did you trade with this… _girl?"_

"I says to him "that ain't none of your beeswax what I traded her for!" He came an grabbed me by the shirt front he did and shook me hard enough to make my teeth chatter about in my skull "Insolence to your king!" he said. Well he ain't no king o'me that's for sure and I told him that. He were right cross then and had me thrown in the castle dungeon till I either learned them fancy manners them royal snobs use or I told him what I trade you for.

Sarah sat down on the floor cross-legged now and asked "And did you? Tell him I mean?"

"If I had I wouldn't be talkin' with ya, now would I? Where was—ah, right. So there I be in that dank dungeon cell without cloak or cup. Hadn't been the first time an' goblins are too stupid to remember who's who down there. So I call out to em' "You lads hear the king wants you upstairs?"

"What you mean? We just got down here," said one o' them.

"Don't listen to him Lob, he's tryin' to pull a fast one on us he is."

"Probly right Bob."

I had to bluff my way out somehow so I used the only thin' that came to mind. "Well seein' as that girl be gettin' closer to the castle in all, the King wanted all o' you up there to defend it in case she gets in," I said. Again, goblins aren't really bright chaps. "Ya hear that Lob? We're goin' ta war! We'll be hero if'n we get the girl for his majesty I recon !"

"You boys better get up there then," I said. "Wait a tick Bob, who's gonna watch old Blindy here?"

"Cor, nearly forgot about that one."

I managed to find the cell door and held my hand out to em'. "Ain't goin' anywhere. Here, why don't I hold onto the keys for ya till you two get back?"

"Eh…you sure you can do that Blindy?"

"Course. Now you two'd better get movin'. Know how his high-n-mightiness is about time." They dropped the keys right in my hand. As soon as Lob and Bob were gone I unlocked the door and out I went. Being blind ain't so bad when you've got the Labyrinth there to be your eyes, and he castle's the heart of it. I was able to find your friends soon enough and I told them who I be to ya. Labyrinth is real strange when it can sense what's wanting, that's where the portal came from. An' you knows the rest." He said finishing.


	6. Over the Garden Wall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the mix up with that last chapter, here's a bonus to make up for it :)

A week passed for Sarah in what could only be described as interesting. Her strange companion the night she returned from the Labyrinth stayed and told her his own misadventure before shooing her off to bed. She went, but not before extracting a promise from him.

_"I'm a little afraid to sleep actually," said Sarah as she'd climbed back into bed. Jareth had stayed hidden in the half shadows of her room, a place he'd noted that was filled with bits and bobs of keepsakes and childhood toys. A nest of sorts, his owl part had told him, and quite comfortable._

_"I'm surprised ya' are, wha' after beatin' the Goblin King an' all," Jareth had said playing the part of beggar while secretly silent and fuming still from the sting it had left. He'd never lost at his own game before and it made him flush hotly under his disguise. Steady now, he told himself, we can't go and have a bump in the road. He had forever and that was all it took. Patience Jareth, he'd thought._

_"I'm afraid the Goblin King will come back," she'd told him. Jareth had smirked, if only you knew my dear, he'd thought. "And not for the reasons you might think. I know somehow that Toby's safe and the goblins won't bother him anymore. I'm more afraid…well for myself to tell you the truth."_

_"I'm afraid that if I fall asleep I'll end up in that horrible Ballroom again and I won't get out. Or that the Goblin King will come back and steal me away like some fairy tale damsel in distress. I don't want to be scared anymore by these things, but I don't know how to not be." Sarah felt more mature when she said it like that. Maybe this was a step towards growing up?_

_Jareth on the other hand had mixed feelings. On one hand he could see that Sarah still feared him, which meant that he still had some marginal power over her in a way that might serve him better in the future. But on the other, he was also not as happy as he should be to know that she felt this way, chained to the shadow of an imposing Goblin King that might come to her in the night and snatch her away from all she loved. No, he thought, this would not do._

_Jareth reasoned that would be better to alleviate her fears somewhat. Could this be…fondness stirring? No, he reasoned. This was simply so that she would let her guard down enough to assume he had no connection to the Blind Beggar or her friends for a while longer._

_"You, ah… 'ave a book called "The Labyrinth" right?" he said in a slow and calculating manner. Sarah nodded. "Yes it right over there on my vanity."_

_"An' you knows it by heart? Even tha' bit 'bout the Goblin King an' the girl?"_

_"Well yeah. 'But what no one knew was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl and he had given her certain powers'…wait, certain powers?" she blink as if realizing for the first time what she really had in her grasp._

_He went on to explain. "Ya' see, he can't be here unless you want him ta' be. Part o' the rules. Also means ya' can travel from the Aboveground ta' the Underground an' the Labyrinth. But eh…probably not so soon. Ya' know?" Jareth gave her another half-truth. All that nonsense about her wanting him there or not was rubbish, he could go wherever he pleased when the mood suited him. He didn't have to be here if he didn't want to, but the fact was that he did._

_"What sort of rules?" asked Sarah curiously before yawning. The Beggar shook his head as if to counter it. "Not tonight m'dear. Rest now and we'll see each other again soon." He said pulling the covers over her as she laid back. When he got to her chin she took his hand to stop him._

_"Promise that we will?"_

_He nodded patting her hand. "Most definitely. G'night pretty doxy."_

And now it was finally Friday. The week had practically dragged on forever for Sarah even though it had indeed been different now that she'd experienced the Labyrinth. School had been even more of a nightmare to get through as she found herself staring more and more out the window; thank goodness it was only a few more weeks before summer vacation started. Both her dad and Karen had commented between themselves on how much more Sarah was acting her age now. They didn't need to know the details she reasoned. Besides, who'd believe it anyway? It wasn't unpleasant to think off at all, if anything, it was exciting like it was something only she could have to herself. A secret.

Friday nights meant she'd be babysitting again, only this time it was going to be different. She was going somewhere. Maybe it had been the grace of god, or maybe a rouge streak of luck that ended up on her side for once, but tonight Toby was being babysat by someone else. She could have practically danced for joy but didn't for obvious reasons. The Williams family's aged neighbor Mrs. Berskely had offered to look after Toby since her own grandkids lived several states away and she lived alone. No questions asked and it was agreed on by both parties.

"Sarah are you sure you'll be alright tonight?" her father fretted only slightly this time. She nodded urging him towards the door where Karen stood checking her watch like a hawk.

"Robert if she says she'll be fine then she'll be fine. Besides we don't want to miss the movie starting do we?" she quipped. Her dad nodded in affirmation.

"Don't worry dad, I'll be fine. I've got all the numbers on the fridge in case of an emergency and Mrs. Berskley's number. Go have fun, I'll be fine. Really!" Sarah reassured, shoving him gently towards the door. Her dad finally relented and said good-bye for the evening before closing the door. Sarah listened carefully as the car drove out of the garage and disappeared down the road.

The coast was clear. Time for her own adventure. Dashing to the kitchen she pulled out the large canvas picnic bag they used and started rummaging through the cupboards. While she started packing and making PB&J sandwiches for the trip Sarah let her mind wander. At first she wasn't too sure if she should go back to the Labyrinth so soon, the Goblin King might be waiting for her. But then again it had been a week and time seemed to move differently over there, so who knew. Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus had kept in contact with her almost every night for the past week and they said that the castle had been eerily quiet. In fact the Labyrinth itself seemed to be going through some sort of shift in nature.

_"Here, look at this," Hoggle had said through the mirror one night as he pulled out something from his pocket to show her. It had been a flower of sorts and looked like a large fuchsia lily. "Oh how pretty," she'd said._

_Hoggle had nodded in agreement. "There's a bunch o' them growing now round the gate to the Labyrinth. Never seen them before at all; they just started showing up a few days after you visited. The forest's different too like its lighter and not so oppressive."_

Both Sir Didymus and Ludo reported the same thing happening from their own parts of the Labyrinth. Flowers that had never been seen before were just suddenly appearing on their own and the atmosphere was changing. Not to say the Bog was any different; apparently that was never going to change and was still to be avoided at all costs. But the Castle being quiet for the most part was…weird to say the least. Sir Didymus reported seeing an owl flying to and from the castle at times, but that was it. The goblins if anything were more rambunctious and crazy from when she last visited.

She'd made up her mind Thursday night. It seemed that it was safe enough to travel and she was more than anxious to get over there and see things for herself. Sarah was curious to see what the Labyrinth was really like when not having a Goblin King breathing down her neck or thirteen hours as a time limit to explore. Stuffing the last sandwich in the bag she closed it up and dashed back up the stairs to her bedroom. She'd have to change into something more comfortable. Since it had felt quite warm when she'd last been there Sarah opted for a t-shirt and her jeans along with sneakers.

"Right. Bag of goodies, check. Parents gone, check. Toby being babysat , double check. I'm ready to go."

Closing her eyes, Sarah inhaled deeply to calm her nerves. "I wish I was at the gates of the Labyrinth right now please." Surprisingly there were no flashes of light or gusts of wind to announce her being spirited away to the realm of the Underground. It just got a little lighter and warmer and when she opened her eyes she was indeed at the very gates she had stared at a week ago.

Currently she stood by the pond facing the gates that served as the entrance to the Labyrinth. Hoggle had been right when he said there were plants growing everywhere now, it looked completely different!

Although the ground was still dusty and sparkled with minerals there were green tufts of grass sprouting here and there randomly. The vines that climbed the outer walls now had buds growing on them and a plethora of flower fairies Sarah decided to avoid at all costs now; she knew better than to even look at them sideways given their nasty attitude to visitors. And there were those Lily flowers Hoggle had showed her entwining around the frame of the gate as a clear indication that it was the entrance.

"Wow, it really is beautiful," she said.

"What is?" replied a croaking voice. Sarah turned in the direction of it and saw her friend the Blind Beggar hobbling over to her. She smiled, walking over to meet him halfway. He pulled part of his cloak to his nose and appeared to sneeze.

"Ach! Ugh, was 'appening to this place!? Got's me hay fever up an ahh…ahh…ahhch!" He sneezed so hard his hat slumped over his face.

"Oh dear, you poor thing," Sarah said sympathetically. Putting down the bag she rummaged through it for a napkin before handing it to him. "Ahh, me thanks lovely lady. What're you doin' out here? Shouldn't ya be with your friends an' such?" he asked blowing his beaked nose noisily.

"Hoggle's fighting a nest of flower fairies he found and trying to get those under control. Nasty things!' she shivered in exclamation. "Sir Didymus is scouting the bog and Ludo is…somewhere. I don't really know where he went off. So I guess it's just us today, that alright?" She asked.

Jareth thought he was doing a good job at acting, mainly because he _was_ suffering slightly from hay fever. All these dammed plants just started growing after she'd left and he couldn't seem to stop them no matter what he tried. Magic didn't affect them and when he'd set Hogbrain on them with poison they'd had the nerve to grow bigger from it! It was intolerable! The Labyrinth wasn't supposed to be pleasant; it was meant to look foreboding and evil to keep people out. Not to mention his allergies; the moment the flowers opened and the pollen had reared its ugly head in his direction his nose was stuffed up and his eyes watered like someone had stuck onions under them.

He might as well be blind at this point from how swollen his sinuses were getting. At least if he were he wouldn't be in agony from it. But then he wouldn't be able to see Sarah through the bandages either. Given the choice, he might as well suffer for a little while to indulge her.

"Quite alright, quite alright." He said sniffling into the napkin.

"Oh good. I'm sorry to say it but I really don't know my way around here that well." She said picking up the bag again to sling it over her shoulder. The Beggar nodded. "Ain't nobody ever been here that didn't need ta' run the Labyrinth before. S'real strange."

"No one. As in no one ever?" asked Sarah skeptically.

"S'right. You's the first an' only."

Sarah wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. It really was weird, but also kind of cool. She felt proud she decided.

"Eh, if ya' want to, I could show ya'…where I live?" said the Beggar in an almost shy tone of voice as he fiddle with his tin cup he'd gotten back. Sarah knew this was quite an offer coming from such a mysterious person she'd only met a week ago. Considering that her friends knew that she was here in the Labyrinth to visit and they'd all heard of the beggar it wouldn't be too much of a thing to at least go and see where he resided. And she did want to learn more about him. "Why not? I think that sounds wonderful, thank you." She said.

"Really? Well then, this way." He motioned to step into the Labyrinth once again and follow him. Jareth congratulated himself at holding his enthusiasm in check. Honestly, he wasn't some Aboveground child showing off his blanket-fort to a new friend; he was a King and had to at least act accordingly.

The gates swung open as they had before for her and as they passed under the opening of the gate Sarah took the opportunity to reach out and snag a few flowers that she then braided into her hair. They reminded her of the flowers attached to the headband she wore when reenacting scenes from her Labyrinth book in the park.

Sarah followed her almost silent companion to the wall of the seemingly endless corridor while the gates closed behind them. They stopped. Sarah leaned to the side to watch what her friend was doing. Making a fist, Jareth knocked twice on the grimy wall of the Labyrinth to indicate where he wanted to go. The Labyrinth still at least obeyed him without question unlike the plant life or renegade inhabitants that defied his whims in favor of a girl. A girl who was now following him as a willing companion. He sighed internally at the predicament he had gotten himself into by allowing her to interact with him so much. Did he regret meeting her like he had down near the oubliette. Honestly? No. No he didn't. But that also didn't mean he couldn't enjoy this for as long as he could either.

The stones of the Labyrinth ground together as they shifted around to accommodate their king's silent request. Sarah watched as incredibly the wall transformed into another opening that showed the forest she'd encountered the Fireys in.

"C'mon then, let's not waste time gawking. I may be blind, but I aint slow." He said stepping over onto the forest floor. Sarah followed but not before turning her head back to watch as the stones of the wall reassembled themselves as they normally were. "Were was that when I needed it?" she whispered to herself.

They walked for a good ten minutes through the woods, the Beggar leading her down a well-worn dirt path between giant tree roots and shrubs. Apparently the rumor was true about the woods feeling different. She remembered how they'd closed in on her during her first initial visit. Now however the trees and plants looked more vibrant and leaned away from the path they took to their destination. A few minutes later they stopped again on a bank overlooking a dense copse of trees.

"What'cha see down there?" the Beggar asked leaning against a walking stick he'd pulled from the brush. Sarah peered between the trunks of the trees and down into the thick of branches. There down in the glen Sarah saw the thatched roof of an old cottage tucked away and hidden from prying eyes. "There's a house down there. Is that…?"

He nodded in affirmation and continued down the path of the slope to the trees. "Tis my home. At least it's what I call my home since I found myself in these parts. Might not be much ta' look at but it's dry and safe." He hobbled through what had once been a wicker fence surrounding the property that now looked rather sad and in serious need of repairs. The grounds outside were bare and mulchy from dead vegetation as well as years of neglect and looked as though they had once supported an herb and vegetable garden; the roof over the stone cottage sagged a bit in the middle but the Beggar was right in that it was hidden by the dense cluster of trees surrounding it from all sides. No one would have looked twice if they hadn't known it was there to begin with.

He opened the brass latch to the door and beckoned Sarah to follow. Inside the cottage was as stark in contrast as it was outside. The walls were whitewashed like bleached bone left out in the sun, two chairs faced each other across a rickety old wooden table placed against the wall to her right. The floor was made up of cobblestones similar to the same in the stone labyrinth that she'd marked with lipstick. A kitchen area took up most of the right side of the cottage with a huge fireplace complete with cauldron. There were two windows which allowed sunlight to stream into and against the far wall to her left was an old curtained alcove with a bed stuffed with what she assumed was straw.

"Sorry it ain't the royal abode at the castle; ain't much for dustin' and what not if I can't see it," he grumbled as he leaned the walking stick against the wall. Sarah was instantly in love with it. How could he think this place was unimpressive? It was amazing for lack of better words; exactly like something from a fairy tale like Snow White when she met the seven dwarves. But then she remembered and mentally kicked herself.

He was blind. It _really didn't_ matter to him what things looked like as long as they functioned and did their job for him. She had forgotten that the one thing that set him apart from everyone else was his sight. But then, wasn't he just like everyone else with one minor exception? She'd like to think so. He'd led her to his own home without any problems concerning his eye sight.

"It's wonderful." She breathed, setting her bag down on the table.

He waved his hand in dismissal. "Ah, aint much like I said b'fore. Goodness it's a warm one today!" he said as he removed the wide brimmed hat he wore to fan himself with it. Jareth wasn't kidding either, the disguise was almost stifling to be in let alone walk for so long in. It hadn't been designed for warm weather that was for sure; a slight calculatory error he would fix on a later date. At least he'd taken the precaution to wear a bandanna to cover his unmistakable hair from her.

"Maybe you ought to sit down for a few then," Sarah pulled out one of the chairs for him to hobble over. He nodded in agreement and pretended to fumble as if looking for the offered seat which only led to Sarah gripping him under the armpit in an attempt to help. Once he was seated Sarah took the opposite chair herself and started to unpack, giving her a chance to think how glad she was that he couldn't see her blush. What she'd assumed to be skinny goblin arms had yielded differently when she'd felt them. Was he not a goblin then? It was hard to tell with him being covered all the time. A scene from Little Riding Hood popped into her head in regards to things not being what they seemed.

_Blind Beggar, what strong arms you have._

_All the better ta' hold ya'with me pretty doxy._

Oh dear it really was warm wasn't it?


	7. Short and Sweet

_Dedicated to David Bowie, who will always be the Goblin King._

_RIP._

* * *

"So, PB&J or PB&J?" she asked while laying out the snacks on the table. Jareth leaned his head to the side. He had no idea what she'd just said. Was it a different Aboveground language he didn't know?

"I…what?"

"Oh sorry, I keep forgetting this isn't Kansas anymore—I mean—never mind. It's a sandwich with peanut butter and blackberry jelly on it. I'm guessing you've never tried one before if you don't know what it is." She said putting a sliced corner of sandwich in front of him.

Jareth picked it up and sniffed it. A mixture of a nutty and sweet aroma wafted up to his nose; not completely unpleasant he thought.

"Unless goblins are allergic to sliced bread or peanut butter I promise it's not poisoned." She said munching on her own sandwich happily. He'd seen goblins with peanut butter before, however it was usually it the context of smearing it on each other or drawing rude images with it. Surely some had gotten into their mouths at some point and they hadn't died, right?

He very carefully took a small bite and held it in his mouth for a moment, willing his magic to test it before he swallowed. When no bitter taste followed he chewed.

Another bite followed, and then another and another. Sarah covered her mouth to keep the giggles quiet as she watched the display from across the table. Boy was she glad he couldn't see her she thought, he was practically inhaling it!

"So I'm guessing that's good?" she said removing her hand from her mouth.

He nodded finishing the sandwich slice. "Very good. Any more?" he asked. Sarah smiled and dug out the other sandwich reasoning that it wasn't as if Hoggle, Ludo, or Sir Didymus were going to be eating it. The moment it was in his hand he was devouring it. Maybe he hadn't eaten anything Sarah reasoned watching him. She remembered the peach incident and quickly pulled out a bag of chips, an apple, and…well she'd wanted to save the gummy worms for herself but it obviously wasn't going to go to waste if he needed it more.

Aboveground food was much different compared to what was available underground. The potato chips baffled him at first and Jareth ultimate turned them down after his tongue dried out from the salt.

"Ach! Tis like a salt block for animals!"

"Ok, chips are a no-go then. Here, try these," Sarah handed over a gummy worm. Jareth almost shuddered at the slimy limp feeling of the candy and the near toxically fruity smell wafting from the opened bag. But it did resemble a worm and the owl part of him was interested enough to pop it into his mouth. And instantly regretted it.

"You ok?" Sarah asked. He wasn't moving.

There were two options he had. He could either spit the nasty little creature out of his mouth and loose some favor with Sarah or he could swallow it. Biting the inside of his cheek Jareth chose the latter; shuddering as it made its way into his stomach.

"I think I'll pass on tha' next time." He said.

Sarah nodded in understanding. "I get it. Not everyone is into gummy worms but I wasn't sure what kinds of things you guys eat around here that don't give you weird hallucinations."

Surprisingly they both laughed at the same time.


	8. The "Uh oh" chapter

For Sarah it was only a matter of time before she found out.

She'd heard of things like this happening before to other young women; somehow though it paled in comparison to what she was feeling now. Pride and Prejudice came to mind, what with Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's miscommunication running amok through the whole story. She'd had to read it last year for school and only got parts of it pieced together enough to make sense of it. Jane Austen and the whole regency period were beyond comprehension; too much etiquette.

But the point still stood.

She knew.

And she was going to do something about it.

* * *

School was over for the summer and Sarah found herself with some time on her hands. Toby was starting to walk on his own with only a little help holding onto things his height, like the coffee table or couch in the living room. Mrs. Berskley had pretty much taken over babysitting for them saying it was no trouble at all and how nice it was to see Toby growing like a weed.

Speaking of weeds, Sarah pulled a stalk of grass free beside her to twiddle with. Today it was just her and the Beggar again; she'd visited with Hoggle and Ludo last week to discuss the goings on near the castle. Sir Didymus had passed on the get-together in favor of an epic crusade to scout the lower regions of the bog for trouble.

Apparently there was some notable activity in the castle and Jareth had been spotted once again barking orders at goblins as per usual.

"Tell me something," she said while tying knots in the stalk. Beside her the Beggar reclined back on the incline of the hill overlooking the Labyrinth. So many changes spread out to greet them. Grass had populated the once dusty hill they occupied and far below them the entrance to the labyrinth was lush with summer green growth. Some flowers remained but had quickly disappeared when summer heat came. The Labyrinth was alive again and in a different way.

"Hmm?" he groaned, pulling his hat lower for shade. It was bloody hot today, but he'd made improvements on his disguise by removing a lot of the fabric and body of the goblin puppet in favor of ragged looking cotton shirts and trousers. Not as flashy as his other cloths to be sure, but sacrifices must be made he thought. The rest was purely glamor.

Her tone was serious when she replied "What does Doxy mean?"

His owl instinct kicked in, telling him to remain still in the presence of a predator. It couldn't be helped though; he knew she'd find out eventually and want an explanation from him. In truth, he'd called her that as a means of passive aggressive name calling which he knew was even low for him. Jareth had thought what a clever private joke it would've made had he won. However, the more they'd interacted in the short amount of time between them it had evolved into an endearment of sorts he could call her regardless of its true meaning. Sarah was a bright young woman, a trait he had over looked in his own confidence of power. It was only right that he _should_ tell her.

Sighing, he resigned himself to an explanation. "Eh, how did ya' find out about it?" he asked.

Sarah turned back to the stem, concentrating on a particularly pesky knot she was trying to weave. "Well, I was curious since you call me that all the time. I wanted to know what it meant."

He nodded. "As ya' should an' are entitled too."

"So I went and found a thesaurus and—"

"A what now?" he said confused.

"A thesaurus; it's kind of like a reference guide to word definitions. When Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ludo and I play Scrabble I use it to help understand what some words mean. Well most of them, I'm pretty sure Sir Didymus makes a few up," she explained. He sneered as the thought of her 'friends' enjoying themselves together as a group but held back any biting remarks.

"Go on," he said trying to masquerade the tartness in his voice with curiosity.

"So I looked up the term and its meanings. I was really…surprised at a few of them." Sarah said quietly. Jareth watched her silently, remembered that look on her face from when he'd given her the peach, that same tone in her voice of unhappiness when she spoke of her family. Moments stretched between them.

"I've upset you haven't I?" he said.

She nodded.

How could the one person who he'd sworn to loathe and seek vengeance against, make him feel so...many things that couldn't be named all together?! It was making him so uncomfortable, this feeling. But why? The obvious thing was that he'd caused her some form of pain, which should have made this form of revenge feel like a victory on his behalf.

But it didn't.

Instead, he felt so dirty and rotten as he looked at her face half hidden as she was turned away from him. And then he realized—!

Jareth felt ashamed.

"Sarah I—"

"If I didn't like you so much I wouldn't be talking to you about this," She said turning to face him again. There was a fiery determination in her eyes, the same he'd seen when they'd first met face to face as opponents on the battle field.

"Did you know?" she asked. "What it meant, I mean."

There was a long pause between them. Jareth could feel the atmosphere thicken the more it stayed silent. "I don't know where I first 'eard it, but I knew it had ta' do with lads an' their lasses. Twas only much later tha' I found out what it really meant. I didn't know what else ta' call ya'…." At the time, he almost said.

"But do you mean what you say when you say it to me?" she asked.

"Not like tha'! You aint a tart or a floozy ta' me at all. You be a lady and a fine dame… an' probly a real pretty one too," he said as the Beggar. There was no lie about that; Sarah was very pretty and would more than definitely become a beautiful woman in time.

"Well in that case, there's only one option left then."

He turned his head towards her in question. "We just need to find something else you can call me!" she said brightly. She amazed him endlessly.

"Pffft! Easy as tha'? Go on then." He said smirking. This should be amusing, he thought.

"Um, alright then…" and so it began. Back and forth they batted ideas around as to what would be an appropriate name the Beggar could call her hence forth. They were close enough to be friends but nothing inappropriate. Some of the names they came up with were so impossibly funny it was any wonder they were ever used at all.

"Fetcher? That sounds more like something you'd tell a waiter. Pardon me sir but will you Fetcher some water?" Sarah laughed. Jareth had to agree that it was idiotic enough to be funny.

"Surely some o' them others were just as bad? What were those las' three? Cookie, gem, an'precious thing."

"I kind of like Squire, but that's more for men anyway," Sarah countered. "I don't know if any are going to work."

"You have a special one?" he asked.

"Well…." She started to say. Jareth inched a bit closer on the grass, but not so close that the glamor would be ruined. So there _was_ a special endearment in her heart then. He fostered a brief fantasy of there being a boy back in the Above waiting to call her something that would turn her cheeks pink from the compliment. The jealousy that flared up in him burned it to ash and it was no more.

"…there was a word my mom used to call me when I was little. I-it's stupid— we should just forget it!" she waved her hands dismissively .

"Oh, come now, tell me what it was?" Jareth slyly coaxed.

"…."

He'd moved the stars for her, reordered time and turned the world upside down and now he was going to be forced to pull out the real deal. He knew he was going to have to use the "P" word for this. As much as he loathed any form of pleading he wasn't above using it for his own interest.

"Sarah…please?" he coaxed again.

"…mom used to call me M'lady. She was always acting and in plays that it just became a thing between us when she was rehearsing to call me that. When it was opening night and she had to go out on stage she'd always say "We shall meet again M'lady," before preforming. As I got older and mom and dad divorced, I stopped hearing her call me that until she stopped. It just always made me smile because I still look up to her." said Sarah, placing the woven grass, now in the shape of a heart, between them before standing to dust herself off.

Damn, she thought. Why did growing up have to be so hard?

Sitting up, careful of his movement, Jareth pretended to feel around for her hand; taking it he brought the back of her hand to his forehead, he bowed over it in the similar fashion knights would do when asking ladies of the court for their favors. Sarah was only a little surprised when she felt her hand being taken by the Beggar where it now rested against the flat of his forehead where the brim of his hat came down.

"If it t'would please you, yer ladyship, I'd like ta' ask forgivens of ye an' me crass mouth," Jareth spoke. Knowing he was both playing around and being serious, Sarah fell into the part seamlessly. Feeling her back straighten as a high-born lady should look she addressed him as such.

"Seeing that you're repenting for thy crimes, I shall allow this minor slight to be pardoned. Make no mistake though that to commit such a crime again will result in serious action on my part, and thou shall not enjoy it."

"Oh great lady, shall I call thee somthin' else so's I don't get thrown in the clink?" he beseeched her. Sarah had to turn away and get herself under control; otherwise the giggles would get the best of her. He was no poet that was for sure, but he certainly had a way with words. Ok, she thought turning back to him.

"You may address me as M'lady from this day forth Beggar. And you have me forgiveness."

"Ahh, thank'ee M'lady, thank'ee!"

* * *

After Sarah had seen herself home Jareth in turn retreated to the private chambers of the castle, ordering no one to bother him. He sat at his desk for the longest time in silence. His mind wasn't on writing documents or letters to neighboring kingdoms though; instead it was on someone with a bright smile who was also as sharp as a tack. Someone with dark eyelashes and a seducing innocents that he'd become ensnared in.

The more he thought about Sarah the more intriguing she became. He craved knowing her inside and out as if she were the embodiment of the Escher room itself. She could be as cruel as he and yet still retained that core of kindness which had obviously shown through and won her her friends during those fateful thirteen hours spent in his Labyrinth.

Even the Labyrinth, his own domain which he'd ruled over for as long as anyone could remember, was bowing to her and letting her influence take root. So to speak.

There was no getting rid of those plants; the longer they stayed and spread the more they would take over. The more she would take over. He hated how she'd just let herself in like she owned the place and made it a permanent stop in her daily life like she was having tea at a garden party, or something. He was much too weak to stop any of it really. He hadn't had the strength since she'd bested him and now he was reduced to sneaking around in a disguise of all things! And yet…he was enjoying himself even if he was reluctant to admit to it. This had really been the most fun he'd had in a long time. Goblins were really rather droll, after a few hundred years it was all the same. Goblins, muck, wished-aways, the occasional runner, and that was it.

No sense in spoiling a good thing like her interaction.

But he was still itching for something more; something with a twist to it that would complete the story. Steepling his fingers together Jareth contemplated his options for a good long while. It was early evening when he called on the dwarf.

Spinning a crystal Jareth called out "Hoggle!" The image in the crystal jumped in shock at the sudden bark of authority.

"I'm in need of your assistance." He spoke. The face bristled inside the crystal. "I knows you're after Sarah you rat! Well, you can stick me in the Bog for all I care 'cause I aint doin' nothin'."

"My, my, my, haven't we grown a backbone lately. Very well. I suppose I'll just have to find that Beggar fellow and ask him personally. Seeing as he knows her as well as you three do, of course." Jareth said smirking.

"No! Wait—hold on a second!" Hoggle exclaimed before the bubble could disappeared. He couldn't let that happen, it would break Sarah's heart if her Beggar disappeared like that again. Plus, he thought, this might be the opportunity to see if Jareth was up to anything.

"What do you want?" Hoggle sighed.

"Excellent. I require some specimens of those new plants you see growing in and around the Labyrinth, and seeing as they can't be killed, I want you to bring them to me personally." Jareth said nonchalantly.

"That all?"

"For now yes. Believe me, Hogwash, I'll be keeping in touch." And with that the crystal blinked out. Next Jareth called for a small horde of goblins. And by a small horde he meant at least a dozen or more.

"Right, the lot of you listen up. I want you to bring me back as much Aboveground information as you can get your sticky paws on. Books, music, anything, I don't care! I need more material of the surface and quickly. No go before I turn you into chickens and have you dunked in the Bog!" he barked. The Goblins ran around wildly before disappearing like they'd never been there before.

Jareth rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. If he was going to do this, it was going to be done right. He hoped Sarah at least would appreciate this. After all, faint hearts never won fair ladies.


	9. Matter of Trust

"Can you sing?" he asked her one day about mid-summer. They were sitting outside his house shaded by the tall trees and simply enjoying the late afternoon. Sarah shrugged; she'd focused more on acting and following her mother's footsteps than anything else like that.

"I don't think so. I mean I can ok, but nothing special."

"I've been known ta' sing on occasion." He said.

"Really?" said Sarah intrigued. Him sing? If his voice was anything like his speech it might end up as a bawdy pub song.

He nodded. " If'n the company's good 'nough. Ya' interested?"

"Uh…sure. Why not."

The Beggar hopped off of the bench they'd been sitting on and disappeared back into the house for a few minutes to rummage around for something. Sarah picked at her floral patterned skirt briefly out of habit. The green tank top she wore was pretty and complimented the pink flowers of her skirt.

She'd hmm'd and umm'd over what to wear before picking them out of her dresser in hopes that it would be alright. But then again, she thought, he can't see what I'm wearing so there's no point in getting dressy. He came back out again with some sort of a guitar or lute in his hand to sit next to her again. Jareth had gone into the house and made it seem that he was looking for something when in reality he'd pulled the thing from thin air.

For the past week or so he'd holed himself up in the castle with a steady stream of Aboveground 'things' to occupy him. He'd soak them up one after another. The goblins had obviously stolen them for the cause; normally he'd never really bother much with what went on in the Aboveground save when someone wished a child away. Now he wanted to know more about that world—or rather Sarah's world and what it entailed.

Posters, jewelry, oddball objects from people's lives, appliances, clothing, everything the goblins could scrounge up or take they did with enthusiasm. Jareth added choice bits of what-not's to his growing collection of trinkets in pleasure.

Magazines were fascinating things to look through. Not really books, they showed glimpses into worlds and social bubbles far beyond what Jareth could see as a normal everyday interaction. A fantasy in a fantasy. Unfortunately his owl side had discovered that ripping them up with his beak was loads of fun to do and ended up with a pile of magazine confetti. He kept them separated and in his desk now because of this.

One goblin had brought back a rather curious object. Every now and then when he went above he'd heard of such devices before but had never seen one up close and personal, even in the junkyard where everything that ever existed was.

It was a Walkman tape player.

He'd had to fiddle with the buttons a bit to get the hand of it at first, especially since the first time he tried to listen to it the volume had near blasted his eardrums out of his skull! He'd almost been tempted to throw the damned thing against the wall but thought better of it when his ears stopped ringing and heart slowed back down to normal again.

Apparently the little rectangular plastic tap was a "Mix Tape" and had a variety of songs recorded onto it. One of which he had found himself replaying over and over again and he found that his like for Rock and Roll was growing. He'd felt the need to share this new interest with somebody, and who better than the girl from the Aboveground?

He'd felt the song was fittingly about them for some reason. Jareth crossed his legs to better rest the guitar on them to play. Clearing his throat momentarily he started to pluck the stings and sing.

_"Some love is just a lie of the heart_

_The cold remains of what began with a passionate start_

_And they may not want it to end_

_But it will it's just a question of when."_

He swiveled his head to Sarah's direction.

_"I've lived long enough to have learned,_

_The closer you get to the fire the more you get burned_

_But that won't happen to us_

_Because it's always been a matter of trust."_

He found the next line in the song very fitting as it seemed to speak of Sarah herself; perhaps his own fears as well secretly. Regardless he played on, rocking along to the music. Next to him on the bench Sarah watched flabbergasted and amazed. His voice…

_"I know you're an emotional girl,"_

He smirked when she raised an eyebrow at him.

_"It took a lot for you to not lose your faith in this world_

_I can't offer you proof_

_But you're going to face a moment of truth_

_It's hard when you're always afraid_

_You just recover when another belief is betrayed_

_So break my heart if you must_

_It's a matter of trust"_

_"You can't go the distance_

_With too much resistance_

_I know you have doubts_

_But for God's sake don't shut me out"_

Jareth sang, pleading in the voice of the song.

_"This time you've got nothing to lose_

_You can take it, you can leave it_

_Whatever you choose_

_I won't hold back anything_

_And I'll walk a way a fool or a king"_

_"Some love is just a lie of the mind_

_It's make believe until its only a matter of time_

_And some might have learned to adjust_

_But then it never was a matter of trust"_

_"I'm sure you're aware love_

_We've both had our share of_

_Believing too long_

_When the whole situation was wrong"_

Jareth poured his all into the song and watched from behind the disguise as Sarah clapped along to it enjoying herself.

_"Some love is just a lie of the soul_

_A constant battle for the ultimate state of control_

_After you've heard lie upon lie_

_There can hardly be a question of why"_

_"Some love is just a lie of the heart_

_The cold remains of what began with a passionate start_

_But that can't happen to us_

_Because it's always been a matter of trust"_

Jareth played a bit more on the guitar before ending his little ballad. Beside him Sarah smiled and clapped; it wasn't the polite kind you gave when you were under obligation or the slow sarcastic kind. Sarah was completely blown away! Who'd have thought that someone like him would have such an incredible voice like that?

"God, that was amazing! Where did you learn to sing like that, and how do you know that song? I can't believe it!" she fired off excitedly.

"You ah, liked it then?" he reverted back into character, setting down the guitar beside him to rest against the bench.

"Liked it? Seriously? Would I have clapped if I hadn't? You're amazing," she said. Jareth puffed with pride at the slight ego boost at her genuine compliment. She'd really liked it? He mused that if maybe he'd sung during her run things would have ended different. But the song had deeper meaning and he'd fully meant every word he sang to her. Perhaps that was the reason she'd loved it so much.

"You've got to sing more often for me. Please?" she said.

"Well…I d'know…" he stroked his chin in consideration. Sarah playfully batted his arm in retaliation. "Oh come on!"

"Maybe, we'll see." He said, secretly pleased.

  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so pretend that Jareth hasn't sung before to Sarah compared to the movie. And I felt this really captured what was going on between them in the story. Song belongs to Billy Joel. Just saying.


	10. Princesses on Parade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Jareth looks over at the crowd and smirks*
> 
> "Ladies."

 

* * *

They'd come, after a fashion, in search of marriage.

Apparently news of the Great and Terrible Goblin King's demise had spread to the outer realms of the Underground. And to some who were desperate, hopeful, conniving, or just plain idiotic that meant opportunity.

And Jareth was having none of it.

As far as he was concerned he loved seeing them try. It was all rather simple really; get to the castle at the center of the Labyrinth, find him and they could have him. He laughed evilly at that. How could he not? It was like a sick, but hilarious, private joke.

All of these brainless powdered up tarts in courtly dress from nearly every kingdom in the Underground were flocking to the Labyrinth now. Sitting at the window of the throne room Jareth laughed manically as another one gave up and stomped away from the entrance of the Labyrinth not even being able to get past that. Behind him in chorus to his own, the goblins snorted, chortled, and giggled just as hard from watching.

His ribs hurt from the black mirth he felt; almost as black and diabolical as his outfit today, he thought. Dark cotton tunic open at the throat to reveal his amulet, black leather trousers with brass buttons an of course his riding boots. All the better to kick things with.

He conjured a crystal. Balancing it on his fingertips he gazed into its contents. There were still others roaming the Labyrinth that had—unfortunately—made it past the gate by other means. Even a second rate magician could find other paths like they had. His laughter bounced around the dome of the throne room as he watch one hapless Fae woman plunge into an Oubliette and scream like a Banshee when the Helping Hands appeared.

From the sounds of her unhappy tantrum, they were getting a bit fresh.

He willed the image to shift into the face of the dwarf outside the gates of the Labyrinth. Jareth sneered as he watched him tend to the flowers and plant life.

"Hogbrain!" he blared.

This wasn't the first time Hoggle had been hailed by the King that morning. His shoulders visibly slumped like a deflated balloon.

"What now?" he sighed.

"There's another one stuck in an Oubliette. Fetch her and take her back to the beginning like the others," said Jareth flippantly.

"Urgh, why can't you just do something yourself?!"Growled Hoggle who stamped his foot in utter frustration.

Jareth just smiled toothily. "Because, that's what I employ you for."

Seeing no other alternative at present, Hoggle nodded sullenly and went to go fetch yet another airhead in distress.

* * *

**_That afternoon..._ **

"D'you guys notice anything strange happening today?" Sarah asked that afternoon at Hoggle's shack. All four of them sat outside on mismatching benches and chairs that had been taken from the Junkyard to furnish the small home. Hoggle's shack resided only half a mile away from the spot Sarah had first encountered the grouchy dwarf. They'd finally managed to all catch a break and meet-up together for a long overdue picnic.

"Rike whut?" Hoggle mouthed around his sandwich.

"Well it's just that there's a bit more activity than usual. I mean, something kinda weird happened today on my way here." She said nibbling part of an orange slice.

"Art thou safe fair maiden?" asked Sir Didymus leaning in.

"Oh yeah, I'm alright. It was just out of place that's all. Maybe you guys will know what's going on when I explain…"

_She'd been making her way down the hill as always when she visited now when it had happened. Since summer in the Underground was at its peak she'd dressed in shorts and an old acting club t-shirt with her hair in a pony-tail. As was the usual these days, she managed to pack some goodies for the adventure._

_The grass was now dry and golden, reaching to her hips. As she waded through the sea of golden grass and past the entrance of the Labyrinth she started to sing softly under her breath. Lost in the lyrics of it she nearly stumbled into something._

_It was a white horse. Sarah stepped back automatically at the sight of such a large creature roaming around the outskirts of the Labyrinth. What an odd place for one, she started to think, but did a double take when she saw it had a rider on its back._

_Riding side saddle and swathed in scarlet silk and brocade sat a gorgeous woman with thick ringlets of blond hair and a jeweled circlet on her head._

_"Whatever are you doing out here?" she litted in some high yet distained voice; Sarah was reminded of Scarlet from Gone with the Wind when she did._

_"I asked you a question girl. Answer me. Or perhaps you are a simpleton and cannot speak!' she snorted in amusement. Sarah's face flushed with heat. She'd just been called stupid by this woman and too her face! It raised her hackles and Sarah wanted nothing more at that moment than to literally yank her off her high horse and smack the creature so it would ride off without her. On the other hand she reasoned that if she calmed down, she could understand why this woman was here._

_"Oh, do forgive me great lady! I was simply trying to find my way into the Labyrinth. The Goblins have stolen something from me and I do so want it back," said Sarah in her most simpering sugary voice. That seemed enough for the woman on the horse._

_"Hmm, not surprised. Filthy creatures that will steal anything that isn't nailed down. Shame that a king should rule such riff raff. But that will change soon enough I suppose."_

_"Oh?" Sarah asked. The woman gave her suspicious side glance. "Are you sure it's only the goblins you're after?"_

_"Of course, why wouldn't I go after just the goblins?"_

_"You obviously haven't heard the news. The Labyrinth had been solved; by a mortal no less!" she tittered._

_"So?"_

_"So that means anyone else might solve it. It's possible now. Which means that the king might be eligible; every high born woman and maid is coming to search him out as a prospectable betrothed. From what I've heard, he's quite the catch." She said dreamily. Sarah wanted to vomit at the mere thought. The Goblin King a catch?! Did this woman even realize what she was saying aloud?_

_True, when Sarah had encountered him on her own she knew that he was a king. So what? Kings could be buttheads like anybody else. Like any evil sorcerer she'd read about he had his own stylized way of doing things too. He was powerful and dangerous and liked to show-off when he had a captive audience. And—ok—he wasn't unattractive when they'd been face to face with each other, but so what? Lots of nasty people out in the world could be attractive and wicked in nature._

_He was, as her mother would say about certain characters, a cad._

_"Uh…well…good luck?" said Sarah making a beeline away from the woman. Let her chase after monsters she thought. She'd had her own experience with the Goblin King and that was more than enough for her thank you._

_"Yes, yes, and the same." The woman said, waving her hand before riding off in the opposite direction._

Hoggle shook his head. "Well, that explains why I've been running around all day pulling Fae women out of the Labyrinth."

"Thou hast been busy sir Hoggle. But—uh—didst any fair woman you crossed paths with mention wanting a knight for her court?" Sir Didymus asked wringing his feathered cap hopefully.

"Really? You just couldn't help it, could you?" Hoggle said dryly.

"Sir Didymus!" giggled Sarah.

"Please don't be offended Lady Sarah for you shall always be dear to me heart, but, tis been such a long time hence that I've been a part of a larger court. Ah, what I wouldn't give to be in a tourney again," he sighed as the happy memory.

Beside her Ludo rumbled "Ludo go with brother."

"Aye Sir Ludo! We shall both be knights and find favor with the court gentry!" Sir Didymus exclaimed.

"Oh geeze, now they're never gonna shut up about it." Glowered Hoggle.

"Hoggle, have you really been taking these women back to the beginning of the Labyrinth?" asked Sarah. He nodded.

"The King's been keeping me busy all day with it. Most haven't even been able to get past the front gate let alone the endless corridor. Others that have a bit of magic have only been able to make it to the stone maze. And then they just get lost or end up falling into Oubliettes like you did," he said taking another bite of his sandwich.

"I hope the Begger is ok. I can't imagine what they'd do if they encountered him; that one woman was a real piece of work." Sarah shuddered at the thought of her dear friend at the mercy of a such a tongue lashing or worse.

Hoggle patted her hand at seeing her concern. "He'll be fine, I know it. He's a lot tougher than you think, especially since he lives in the Labyrinth. He knows lots of tricks if they give him any sass."

"I sure hope so. But thinking about how stupid those women are to go after the Goblin King is just so silly." She said smirking.

"Well, good riddance to bad rubbish I say!" said Hoggle finishing the last of his sandwich.

Above the group on the eves of the shack, unseen and unnoticed, an owl hooted softly in agreement with them.


	11. A Blessing or a Curse

"Robert, have you seen the duster anywhere? I can't find the darn thing," called Sarah's stepmother from the hallway into the living room as she opened the front door. It was the tail end of July and it was a real scorcher outside. Sarah had been down at the park again with Merlin playing fetch for a while resulting in Merlin romping in the pond. Even with his summer haircut he tended to get overheated.

She'd wondered while playing if Sir Didymus gave Ambrosias a haircut similarly when the weather got this bad but doubted it, knowing how cowardly he could be. Putting Merlin in the backyard to relax Sarah made a mental note to ask the next time she went back to the Underground.

"We're back," she announced from the doorway.

"Great timing, kiddo. Can you help Karen look for the bug spray and duster real quick, I'm trying to feed Toby," answered her dad from the kitchen followed by the sound of Toby's plastic Sippy-cup falling to the floor.

"We having company?" she asked flopping down on the couch to enjoy the air conditioning.

More clatter from the kitchen and Toby's laughter. "No, but Karen's noticed we've got a bit of a spider infestation and she thinks some eggs have hatched from the heat. She wants them out—"

"For once I don't blame her," mumbled Sarah.

"—and she's afraid they might end up biting Toby," he added.

Well that made sense. Her Big Sister mode kicked in and won over the side of her that wanted to lounge on the couch in favor of helping to make things safer for him. Ever since their experience with the Labyrinth, Sarah desperately wanted to protect Toby more. Even if it meant having to get along with her stepmother.

This was going to be one of those occasions.

* * *

Jareth had been many things—been called many things, some not for weak ears—but he was at heart, a sorcerer. When children weren't being whisked away to the Underground and nothing else called to his attention, which was more often than not these days, he honed his skills.

He loved to sharpen his craft and stay steps ahead of whatever was going to happen. Adjacent to his chambers in the castle was the Sorcarium, a room dedicated to the pursuit of magic and the arcane. The walls were decorated with shelves that held glass containers of pickled specimens, half rotted tapestries from bygone eras, books covered in cobwebs and glitter like little galaxies frozen in place. And propping some in place as bookends were garish masks with horns. A table heaped with alchemical glass tubes and beakers sat against a wall along with dried plants and herbs strewn about. And hunched over it was the Goblin King.

Jareth wore a leather apron over his usually flamboyant attire; wouldn't want to get that dirty he'd mused, and he sleeves actually rolled up to his elbows in near comical fashion. On his left pinky finger, Sarah's ring glinted merrily in the light.

There appeared to be something on the table through the lens of a magnifying glass. The dwarf had done as he'd ordered and brought several samples of the flowers he'd clipped from the gate of the Labyrinth.

He reached beside him for his arsenal of tools and took up a set of tweezers and a small pair of scissors. With delicate precision, Jareth began to dissect one of the large fuchsia lilies he had under the glass, occasionally stopping to scribble down some details on parchment.

To what means were they growing and why? He'd asked himself the same questions over and over again as he ground up the herbs to a pulp in a mortar and pestle. But deep down in his gut he knew they grew for **_her._**

_But what no one knew was that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers…_

Blast it all!

He knew his ruse wasn't going to last forever, no matter how hard he tried to keep the mask on. Sarah had been too close to uncovering his face in the Ballroom hallucination he'd conjured. He'd admit now that at first she'd been the opponent to his game like so many before her. Looking back on that night he smiled to himself at how much she seemed to have changed.

Jareth spooned the gunk into a glass bottle before dropping another liquid in along with it. Pungent red smoke arose and he swirled the bottles contents while checking them in the light. He'd acted subtle uninterested when the dwarf had dropped by earlier with the plants but played at being miffed that the "Girl" was still roaming about his Labyrinth.

* * *

_"What does she think she's doing here still?! Wasn't once enough?" he'd barked across the room at Hoggle who was perpetually exasperated at his job._

_"Afraid not sire. Regardless of what you or anyone else thinks, she likes it here because she's got friends."_

_"Ha! Likes it? The Underground isn't meant for mortals to like unless it's for the pursuit of darker things. She's far too innocent."_

_"Oh for the love of—! You let her win!" Screeched Hoggle throwing the bundle of herbs down on the floor in frustration. Jareth felt is blood boil and slowly turned to face the dwarf-that-would-be-bogged._

_"Excuse me?" he replied icily._

_"You! The Great Goblin King, taker of children and all the other titles that end up going with it, let Sarah—not "The Girl"— win!"_

_Pulling himself to full height, Jareth had towered over the little vermin that screamed at him from three feet below._

_"Think carefully on your next words Hoglard or you'll be known as "The Prince of the Land of Stench" miles before you've been seen," Jareth hissed down at him._

_"Do I have to be the one to spell it out? You're infatuated. It's the only logical reason that she's still allowed to come back here."_

_At that Jareth laughed, perhaps a bit more forced than need be before turning his back to ignore Hoggle. Without noticing it Jareth's grip on the table had created indents and splinters embedded in his gloves._

_"I'm no such thing. I was merely testing to see if she'd grown weak of heart from her "—Dangers untold and Hardships unnumbered." The game is still on and I plan to win one way or another." He growled over his shoulder. "Now get out and go take more of those women back to the beginning of the Labyrinth."_

* * *

The idea. Him infatuated with a human girl no less.

Well, not so far fetched he countered. His kind had always had dealings with mortals in some fashion. With the females of his kind they were considered devoted to their families, mortal or immortal. Any offspring a mixed union brought would have been blessed with beauty and good fortune till the end of their days. Even if she went back to her kind, even if she had a partner in her own homeland, her heart would always be with both.

With the males though, it was a different kettle of fish. The Fae loved to steal more than just children away to their homes. Women of exceptional beauty that caught the roving eye of the Fae gentry were usually spirited away without choice; unwilling brides or lovers taken to fairyland for as long as they were deemed interesting. Though sometimes there were women that came willingly into the arms of male Fae, usually seduced by their glamor and honeyed words.

Either way, it never ended well.

Mortal women that bore half Fae children were ostracized from their communities and families, the consummation of their unions considered evil and unwanted. In darker times, the Christian church labeled them as the spawns of the devil due to their natural talent with magic. However, some half Fae children encompassed the most powerful traits of both lineages and had the potential to become greater than most.

Jareth knew what he was. And he knew what he wasn't.

He could fight his nature if he tried hard enough but why take a chance? The Labyrinth was his best means of defense against events like that should they start to develop. It was one thing to use a human as a plaything, but another to have an actual interest.

Suddenly there was a loud popping sound and a burst of fuchsia smoke from the bottle he still held aloft. Inside, the liquid had transmutated into several solid chunks of a burgundy resin like substance. Jareth place it on the table and quickly jotted down more notes.

Perhaps if he could discern the nature of these plants he could very well discern the nature of Sarah. The final step in this process was to pour some oil into the bottle and let it be. He would have time to test it later thought Jareth as he corked it before storing it away safely in an alchemical cupboard.

Something caught his attention; a brief flicker of movement that stopped between his eyes as it had made its descent from the ceiling.

A silver thread of silk.

Beady eyes.

A spider.

A small one at that, but still a spider none the less.

"And what do you want?" he said sarcastically. It didn't answer as was expected; not everything in the Labyrinth was of a magical nature. Becoming irate at the offending creature Jareth blew a gust of air to send it spinning away like a whirling dervish before turning to exit the Sorcarium.

Spiders weren't even fit for owls to eat sometimes.


	12. Darker Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proceed at your own will for this chapter.

In the Underground there were two Elder Courts with various minor kingdoms below each; these comprised of the Seelie and the Unseelie. And the spies of the Fae courts knew all and saw all. No court could move against the other without mutual repercussions. It was an uneasy truce but it had worked for thousands of years. By means of wagging tongues and searching eyes much can be accomplished. And news spreads faster than brushfire in the Underground.

Yet there were darker places that had their own way of doing things and had no interests save its own while unchecked magic ran rampant and chaos entwined with deception. The Underdeep, as it was called, was such a place. They were cave systems amidst the landscape of the Fae world that delved deep and spread farther than any kingdoms boarders could comprehend.

Humans told fairytales to keep their children in check Aboveground. Don't go in the woods, don't talk to strangers or except anything they give you, and don't play with things you didn't know about sort of thing. The Fae did similarly. Don't go to the Underdeep. Stay away from the Underdeep they'd tell their children if they'd wander to close to the mouth of a cave.

Unnatural things were known to come out at night and roam the land. It was said that varying Unseelie families were said to have sprung from the Underdeep and took great pride in tracing their ancestry to those caverns.

Some overconfident fools scoffed and would saunter off in search of the caves only to never be seen or heard from again. Sometimes children went missing, but not as often as the idiots that went looking for the trouble to begin with.

And yet life existed. It was a kingdom, unsworn to any Court but its own. But what was the point of having a court if only spiders and vermin slunk within its depths? And who was this kingdoms monarch? Who indeed…

In the deepest part of these passages where sunlight never shone and only fine threads of gossamer hung on the eves of rock and stalactites, deep within, was the Underdeep citadel. A grand palace made of the oldest glowing geodes and crystal spires that the earth had formed. The closer you got to the structure the more blankets of webbing there were. You'd almost think it was an ice palace amidst glowing snow banks; the illusion was so real and beautiful. That was until you saw the body shaped wrappings encased forever inside the silken trappings. Scurrying along these if one looked closely were hundreds of spiders; some had fingernail like legs that were long and thin to reach out and ensnare prey, other spiders were huge and bulbous for brute strength to subdue.

There were many others that stayed out of site in dark corners waiting to feel the movement of thread before darting out like lighting. Some who had survived long enough to see this place for themselves still lived, although living wouldn't be the right term to use on them now…

And other spiders were so small that it was near impossible to see them clearly without help. These were the most dangerous of all. These seemingly insignificant creatures were the eyes and ears of the Underdeep; eight eyes could see better than just two. They would make homes in houses, listen to life on the surface, and hitch rides on travelers going places, such as ladies from the courts following rumors of a certain king for instance.

One had made quite the long journey as it descended from the ceiling of the private chambers, having slipped inside undetected. Without a sound it landed on the outstretched finger as complacent as a house pet.

"My spy."

"My queen, I bring important news," it said in a small high pitched voice.

"Go on."

"Jareth has been found."

* * *

As much as Sarah disliked her stepmother, they made a killer cleaning brigade. She rolled her shoulders after placing the last of the bug spray back under the kitchen sink and fanned herself. It had been hard work and had taken a couple of hours to complete but the house was totally bug proof now.

Which meant she could take a well-deserved cold shower and scrub the dirt out of her pores; and maybe a glass of tea to go with it. Why not?

It was late afternoon by now and the sun wasn't baking everything like it had earlier. As far as finding any bugs or creepy crawlies around the house, there was a surprising lack thereof. Even the usual flies near the back door to the yard were suspiciously absent.

Maybe there _were_ spiders hanging around…

But if they were then they must have migrated outside thought Sarah while she poured a tall glass of iced tea from the fridge. Taking it upstairs, she paused to look in on the living room where both her dad and stepmom were resting on the couch together watching tv. Sarah gave a little half smile at remembering how her parents had done the same when she was younger before continuing upstairs.

Toby's crib had been moved closer to the window and air conditioner which allowed a view of his crib from the bedroom door of her room. Not hearing anything, she peeked in to see him flopped on his back sleeping soundly in the cool room.

All was well in the house.

She hadn't been able to visit the Underground lately, mainly because of things needing to get done at home. She just hoped the Beggar would understand. Actually, now that she thought of it, she hadn't seen him much around either. Although they were friends she still didn't really know what he did when he wasn't begging in the Labyrinth; she figured it was his own business as long as he stayed away from the Goblin King.

Sarah put the glass in her room before going to the bathroom to shower; summer had been good to them all considering how it started that night with Toby and the Labyrinth. Turning on the tap for cold, she knew she had learned a lot about the Labyrinth through each of her trips. Although, there were times she wondered about the Goblin King but they were fleeting. The Beggar had reassured her that there was nothing he could do to harm her or Toby as long as his powers were still regenerating. And as far as Hoggle was able to tell her from spying at the castle it seemed that his majesty was going to be benched for a while.

The shower felt lovely; she wanted to stay under the icy water forever but knew she had to get out. Perhaps it had been the fact that the window was slightly open for a breeze, perhaps it was merely the air conditioner down the hallway blowing cool air, or perhaps it was because her skin was wet from the shower but Sarah felt a distinct drop in temperature the moment she stepped out of the shower.

The hairs on the back of her neck, though plastered by water, rose. Glancing around the bathroom Sarah could see that there was no one and no way possible for anyone to see her. The goblins wouldn't dare even though they were notorious for other things and the mirror was too fogged up to allow communication.

"It's just the air conditioner," Sarah chided herself as she grabbed a towel; at least her tea was still cold enough to enjoy by the time she got dressed again in her tank top and shorts. Sarah flopped back onto her bed with a sigh. Everything was hazily quiet except for the muffled sound of the tv downstairs. Sarah grabbed a well-worn book entitled "Irish Myths and Legends" on her nightstand. It had been a gift from her mother on her tenth birthday. She flipped absentmindedly through the pages not really paying attention as the words started to blur and shift.

"Maybe a short nap," she mumbled drowsily. She watched as the condensation on the iced tea glass sweated slowly down the side to puddle on her nightstand. In the corner of her window where the sun hit just right, a spider started to spin a delicate glass web. It was just like watching the bubbles with the dancers in them all over again, she thought before her eyes closed and slept.

* * *

_It was her turn to do the dishes. She hated doing the dishes. But seeing that her dad was at work and Karen had taken Toby with her to go shopping it left Sarah in charge of cleaning duty. She could handle laundry ok, vacuuming was a piece of cake, and occasionally she picked up a duster when they had company coming over._

_But dishes were her bain. Everybody took turns—well , mostly it was Karen since like Sarah her father wouldn't go near the stuff. Just as she was about to waltz out the door to freedom—_

_"Sarah." Karen had said in her freeze-right-there-young-lady voice. "It's your turn."_

_She'd begged. "Oh—no—please, I've been good I swear!"_

_She'd gotten mad "I hate doing the dishes!"_

_She'd bargained. "I'll do it tomorrow, I promise."_

_And in the end she'd accepted her vile fate. "Alright… I'll take care of them,"_

_But in her mind she ranted "It's not fair!"_

_She ran water into the sink and tested it to see how hot it was. Kneeling to open up the kitchen cupboard under the sink revealed goblins everywhere! They were sliding down the banister of the stairs, crawling out of every cupboard and closet, under every chair and sofa, even coming out of the dishwater like it was a swimming pool! Sarah dashed from room to room with a hoard of goblins following right on her heels. She tried to make it to the front door but it suddenly got further and further away from her outstretched hand. She sprinted like mad and had just managed to get her hands on the handle when dozens of dirty goblin paws grabbed her to pull her backwards while chanting "Heave! Hoe!"_

_She tried to hang on and open the door to escape but her wet hands slipped and she was flung backwards right into the arms of—_

_"Jareth!"_

_"Thought you'd seen the last of me, didn't you girl?"_

_"No…no!"_

_"Oh yes. We meet again…Sarah."_

* * *

"...Sarah…Sarah...wake up Sarah!" someone shook her shoulders.

"Oh dear, I pray the maiden still has life left in her," wailed—wait, Sir Didymus?

"Sarah no go away," cried…was that Ludo? Her head and body felt so heavy and useless. And that nightmare—! "Ugh…what happened?" she groaned. Someone else was rubbing her wrist and hand, how did it get so cold? Peeling her eyes open she saw Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus and…"Beggar? W-whats going on?"

"Shhh M'lady, everythin's goin'ta be alright." He said patting her hand. Sarah glanced around her room and just about fainted at the sight that greeted her; everything was covered in sticky silk webbing including her. The last thing she remembered was feeling drowsy and falling asleep on the bed. How could this have happened?

"What's going on? I had such a horrible nightmare! I dreamed there were goblins everywhere and the Goblin King—" she suddenly felt so fatigued and tired. If she could just close her eyes for a moment…go back to sleep…

Instantly she was jostled awake again. "No, none o'that now love. You needs ta' stay awake now, ya' here?" the Beggar and Hoggle pulled her to sit upright on the bed while Sir Didymus pulled more webbing away from her legs so she could swing them over the side. Sarah's head spun worse than when she'd woken up from the poisoned peach.

"Oooh…..wait— Toby! Where's Toby? Is he Ok?!" Sarah cried coming to her senses. Not thinking about her how her legs might be affected, Sarah stumbled out of her room and rushed to the crib but found it empty. Panic gripped her tightly; Sarah fought through the webs to get downstairs to search. The whole house was engulfed by webs.

"Toby?! Toby, where are you?! Tob—Oh my god!"

Sarah gave a blood curdling scream at the sight in the living room, for there on the couch were two large cocoons she recognized instantly on the couch.

"Dad! Karen! Hold on I'll get you out of there!"

Before they could touch the sticky wrapping covering her parents her hands were snatched away. The Beggar had followed her and was pulling her from the offending sight. Sarah resisted but ultimately couldn't fight him and slumped onto the living room rug. Jareth turned her head into the crook of his neck and away from the scene.

"Are they…?" she whispered against his neck.

"Nay, they ain't dead. But there ain't no way ta' free em' like you," he replied.

"Why?!" she questioned adamantly.

"Tis a powerful spell they've been put under an' it took all o' us just ta' bring you 'round again."

"But Toby—"

"—he be fine as o'feather, love. We got here just in the nick o' time ta' save you two; I regrets though tha' we couldn't save your folks." Jareth did regret not being able to free the rest of her family. If he'd only had more power he thought, perhaps he wouldn't have been able to. Maybe for the time being though this was for the best. No telling how they would have reacted if the situation had been different. After a few more minutes of coming to terms, Sarah and the Beggar got up and started up the stairs again to her room.

"How did you guys know we were in danger then?" asked Sarah after sitting down at the foot of her ben next to Sir Didymus. Hoggle had wiped her desk chair clear of webs and was now seated atop it. Beside her the Beggar sighed, sounding exhausted and weary. "T'aint the only place tha's been affected."

It dawned on Sarah what he meant. "You mean...The Labyrinth?"

Hoggle reached up and pulled his cap off to run a hand over his head in dismay before speaking "It's really bad Sarah. The castle's been taken, the Labyrinth is covered in spiders and webbing. And I hate to say it because he's a such a git—"

"True." Sir Didymus interjected.

"—but Sarah, the King is gone." Hoggle said.

"What?"

"Jareth has disappeared."

  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it to the end of the chapter, congrats. Well, things are certainly taking a turn for the weird aren't they? I got inspired to write this chapter after the scene from Legend where the world starts to ice over and change; I always love that movie since it was so visually gorgeous to watch. But whats going to happen next? Who's responsible for all of this chaos and havoc? And what about the Labyrinth?
> 
> ~Stay Tuned~


	13. Salt in the wounds/ To doubt is to step back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've actually combined two chapters together with this one since they're split in the ff.n one. Enjoy!

_"_ What do you mean he's disappeared?! Will someone please tell me what's going on," Sarah said having gotten tired of half answers. "No—wait— before even that, please just tell me where Toby is."

"Tis alright. As I said b'fore, he be fine and safe at my home. A few other creatures in the Labyrinth managed ta' escape along with us an' are there lookin' after the boy," the Beggar reassured. Sarah sighed in relief.

"Sarah's friends save brother." Said Ludo as Sarah squeezed one of his huge fingers in appreciation.

"Ahh, maybe I should go first," Hoggle offered "It just came out of the blue; one minute I was beating my record for spraying flower fairies and the next thing I know this drowsiness was creeping over me. I figured I'd sit down and rest my eyes for a few when something moved out of the corner of my eye. So I looked over my shoulder at it and jumped clean out of my skin," Hoggle recounted.

"What was it?" asked Sarah.

"I couldn't believe my eyes. It was perched on top of the wall looking right at me." Hoggle shuddered.

Sir Didymus put a comforting paw on Hoggle's shoulder in sympathy "Come now Sir Hoggle, tell us what it was you saw," he urged.

"Well i—it had a person's torso and such on the first half but it's lower body from the hips down was a spiders! Ugh, gods it was horrible! I ran so fast I don't think my shadow had time to catch up."

"By the gods that sounds terrifying Sir Hoggle. Tis true a knight is trained to stand and fight against any foe, but sometimes even brave men must know when to live for another day." Sir Didymus said in poetic fashion.

Jareth, who had been sitting aside from the group, fiddled absently at his Lunula pendant. Ever since the siege had started it had been unnaturally active yet unresponsive to his actions which meant his magic was cut off entirely now. He didn't like not having an exit which was exactly what he could see this situation turning into. He'd felt something similar at the castle just after finishing the experiments he'd conducted. Luckily he'd known the signs of a magical attack as it was brewing and had just enough time to slip into his disguise to flee the castle and warn a few stray goblins that they should get out. He'd ended up at the cottage and soon after so had Sarah's ragtag group looking for shelter and answers.

Sir Didymus spoke next. "I admit that both I and Sir Ludo were absent from the post at the Bog of Eternal Stench when everything happened as we were off in another part of the Labyrinth on a scouting mission. When we returned it appeared that the entirety of the Bog had been infested by a myriad of these strange spiders you speak of. Our next stop was Sir Hoggle's residence, but again we found only the spiders and destruction; I feared he too had become their prey. Our only other option was to find the Blind Beggar." Sir Didymus said. Beside him, Ludo could only nod.

"We were lucky in that all four of us escaped and found each other again. It was the Beggar that sensed that somehow you were in danger and needed our help Sarah," added Hoggle putting his cap back on.

"But…are you sure that the Goblin King has ended up like…like my parents?" Sarah hesitated, the memory of finding them downstairs still fresh in her mind.

"There's no way he could have fought back against whatever this is." Hoggle shook his head in dismay. "If Jareth is indeed missing or has been captured by the enemy then the Labyrinth is forfeit."

"What does that mean?" Asked Sarah."

"Ta' put it simply m'lady, there ain't no Labyrinth without the Goblin King." The Beggar spoke with such a serious tone that a shiver rolled up Sarah's spine.

"No king…no home…" Ludo rumbled sadly.

"And if my suspicion is correct, the reason you and you're family were targeted was simply because you are the only person who's ever beaten his majesty at his own game, which would make you a key in uncovering where he might have been taken." Sir Dydymus said stroking his bearded fox chin.

_And he had given her certain powers…_

The words echoed in Sarah's mind mockingly. She bowed her head so her hair curtained her face from either side. Her hands balled into angry fists as they rested on her knees over the edge of the bed. When she spoke it was soft but certain. "Then there's only one thing to do. We've got to rescue the Goblin King and find out who's behind this. I don't think there's anything here salvageable I'll need, so we should just go."

"Right then. No time like the present." Hoggle hoped off the chair towards Ludo and Sir Didymus.

"You guys go on ahead, I—I'll be right behind you." Sarah said. Knowing this was hard for her, the three of them disappeared back into the Underground. A heavy silence enveloped the room.

Sarah stood up from the bed after a few quite minutes. Jareth turned his head towards her in question. "Sarah?"

"I wish I'd never read that book in the first place. I wish I'd never gotten mixed up in all of this. But most of all…I wish I'd never met the Goblin King."

* * *

There'd been a soft surprised "Oh" from the Beggar, one of child-like incomprehensibility at the words that had been spoken. A pin could have dropped.

At that moment Sarah had watched silently as something strange happened. It'd started around his shoulders and head and followed down to the ends of his cloak. His face faded into nothingness and his outline shivered for the briefest of seconds before his entire body seemed to deflate like a balloon.

It was like watching a bubble pop in slow motion.

Sarah had watched his cloak and hat flutter sadly to the ground along with a pair of dark gloves. At last it came to rest, still and unmoving. She'd hesitated, not knowing what had just happened or weather this was shock setting in, but cautiously Sarah had knelt down next to the pile of fabric and reached for something hidden within its folds.

Her hands touched and found what she'd been looking for. She lifted it away from the mothy blue fabric; a wooden mask featuring a beaky profile and eyes covered by an old bandage.

There was no blood. There was no dust. There was nothing.

He'd just simply disappeared.

...

That had been two days ago…

Sarah didn't remember much after that except waking up in an unfamiliar bed still holding onto the mask. The bedding had been lumpy but the quilts were worn from age in the best possible way. They were soft against her cheek and she felt centered and safe in her little nest as she woke up. There were curtains that had been drawn with only a sliver of yellowing light peeking through that indicated so. She'd pulled them aside and blinked.

There were Goblins everywhere. But unlike her nightmare they weren't acting aggressive; in fact it was the complete opposite. She recognized the interior of the Beggars cottage from before but where once the sparse living area had been was now occupied by a small goblin encampment. Some were on the table playing cards in the dim firelight, others were sprawled on the floor asleep or milling about. It was really sort of sad, there were fewer than she'd expected. By the fireplace sat Hoggle snoozing with his head propped up by his hand on the armrest.

"Hoggle?" she asked groggily.

He snorted awake. "Sarah? Oh thank heavens you're alright. We were all so worried about you!" he said hopping of the chair to go to her. Sarah swung a leg over the edge of the bed so Hoggle could reached up and give her a hug around the waist before letting go to fetch her a cup of tea. Apparently she'd appeared at the cottage two days after they'd last seen her and there was no trace of the Beggar in the Labyrinth. She'd woken up to a refugee camp with more questions than answers.

The group hadn't known what to do or where she'd gone, they'd been certain she'd been captured and everything was lost. But after those two uncertain days, she'd stumbled into the cottage before collapsing onto the floor. Hoggle said it had been the residual effects of the spiders venom she'd had swimming around in her system and had made her comfortable to sleep it off.

"I'm sorry I made you guys so worried. I honestly can't remember what happened before I came here except…"she trailed off softly, remembering something.

"Except for what?" Hoggle asked.

"After you guys left again it was just me and the Beggar. I—I remember saying how I wished I'd never met the Goblin King and wishing how none of this should have ever happened when he just started to—I don't know—there was nothing left of him at all when it was done except his cloths and a mask. He'd just…disappeared," she said blankly.

"Oh lord…" Hoggle said rubbing a gnarled hand over his troubled features. "Whatever's taken the King then has gotten ahold of the Beggar. And if they're powerful enough to do all of this and take the King, then we're looking at a seriously powerful sorcerer."

She nodded. "Hoggle…I think you're right. What are we going to do?" she asked.

"It seems to me that the only thing to do is find the rat responsible for all of this and relocate the King; I'm sure that if we do then we'll find the Beggar as well Sarah, so try not to fret too much." Hoggle said consolingly.

"But I can't! For some reason I feel like this is partially my fault. Hoggle…I'm scared." She said while holding the mug of tea a bit tighter, the feeling of heat spreading through her fingers. Sarah had managed to take a peek out one of the windows while Hoggle had gotten her some tea. The sky was twilight blue as if the sun were below the rim of the world after sunset. The entire Labyrinth was caught between night and day in a suspended state of twilight blue and grey sky.

Hoggle nodded. "I know Sarah. We don't expect you to know what to do, but you're the closest thing to a hero we've got now."

After that she'd crawled back into the bed and pulled the covers to her nose. There was no way she could sleep. And she didn't for the next few hours. The world had been thrown into chaos and she was considered a hero? She'd nearly laughed when Hoggle had said that. How could she face the Goblin King after everything he'd done?

_"You asked that the child be taken. I took him."_

_"No…you can't…"_ she rebelled in her mind at the words _._

_"You cowered before me. I was frightening._

_"You were…you still are,"_ she admitted.

_"I have reordered time and turned the world upside down for you Sarah! Just let me rule you and you can have everything that you want."_

_"Is this what you would have done for me? A world locked in limbo?"_ she shuddered.

_"Fear me, love me, do as I command and I will be your slave for all eternity. Forget him…."_

_"Never! I will never forget him and who he is to me; what he means! He's more than my friend and I can't let him suffer a fate worse than death,"_ Sarah said.

Her mind was silent, there were no more responses. At least enough for her to lay back and listen to Goblins snore while she drifted in and out of dreams.

 


	14. Subterfuge and Pawn

Sir Didymus was the one to wake her the next day. Apparently she had fallen asleep again but it had been fitful. That was how the day started for Sarah. She'd rolled out of bed to a horde of Goblins surrounding her from either side with looks of expectation and—dare she say it—hope.

"Sarah Lady find King?" asked one to her left.

"I…I'll try to find the King." Sarah replied.

"Didn't she defeat King?" another whispered conspiratorially to another. There was a collective muttering of yes's along with nods of agreement.

"Why you want to find King if you defeat King then?"

Sarah fidgeted under the stares of the Goblins and pretended to find something under her nails. What should she tell them? What was the right answer? They weren't the brightest bulbs in the package, she knew that from experience, but they were just looking for answers like the rest of them. They deserved to know what was going on as far as she could tell them from her own side of things. It was then that her skills as an actress kicked in and took over.

"Let me tell you a story—"

"Is it good story?" one asked.

"Does it have a pretty princess?" said another.

"Is there magic?"

"Are there Goblins?" asked another.

"Does it have cake?" one interjected who had a horned hat.

"SHUTUP!" the horde yelled in unison at the horned goblin who covered his mouth with his warty hands. Sarah almost laughed but didn't.

"No cake, sorry. But it does have a princess and there is magic and goblins in it," She said.

All the goblins went "Aaaaahhh," excitedly. The horde got comfortable on the floor for storytime.

"Alright so, once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who'd wished her baby brother away to the Goblins out of frustration. The Goblin King appeared and told her that he'd become one of them because she'd made a selfish wish. Desperate to get him back she decided to reach the center of the labyrinth surrounding the castle beyond the Goblin City—"

"How come?" squeaked a smaller Goblin at the front of the group.

"Well because she loved her brother very much and didn't want anything to happen to him. You see, when you love someone it can be very hard sometimes. Love's not always easy."

"Yuck! Love's gross, with all sorts of kissy stuff and hearts and flowers and gunk!"

"I like gunk," said someone in the back.

"Shhhh!" said the group.

"Did she make it?" asked another goblin, this one had a long face and goat horns.

"She almost didn't. The Princess had thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth before it was too late. Luckily she met some friends along the way who helped her; one of them was the Blind Beggar." She said. The Goblins all whispered at the mention of the Beggar who obviously was revered like some mysterious legend to them.

"Through her journey she and the Beggar kept meeting and grew closer until she was finally at the castle of the Goblin King. By then the King had no more tricks he could use and time was almost up. The Princess was able to defeat the King and win her brother back just in time. Unfortunately she thought that in the process the Beggar had been hurt or worse…"

There was uproar from the horde of goblins then in the tiny cottage "No! Did Beggar man get hurt, did Beggar man die?! "

"No he didn't die. He got away from the Goblin King who'd imprisoned him in the dungeons. After that the Princess and her brother where whisked away home again, safe and sound. The Goblin King had been defeated. The Princess was sad at the thought of having lost her friend," Sarah said remembering that night after the Labyrinth. The Goblins sniffed while some wiped their eyes with their sleeves or blew their noses loudly on each other's cloths.

"Poor Princess…"

"But that night while she slept, the Beggar came to her saying he was safe," said Sarah. The Goblins cheered.

"After that, the Princess and the Beggar saw each other more often since she could come and go as she pleased in the Labyrinth. She could see her friends again even though she was still scared the Goblin King would come after her for defeating him. She and the Beggar became very close. But now the Goblin King's been taken and so has the Beggar; without the King the Labyrinth will fall to whomever it is that's captured it and sent these spiders. Don't you see? I'm the Princess, it was me that defeated the King, and now I have to bring him back because I'm the only person who can. I'm the only person who can save the King and…and my friend the Beggar." said Sarah sinking back down onto the mattress again.

"Princess Sarah Lady?"

She looked over the crowd of Goblins and other creatures that had come over to listen to her story, a few Fireys, some fairies and other inhabitants of the Labyrinth that had made it to the cottage had gathered around her in a semicircle.

"I'm sorry this has happened because of me, I'm sorry you've lost your home and that it was taken from you. But…I'll try and help you get it back if I can. I'll do whatever is in my power to make this right," said Sarah. There was a high pitched squeal and all eyes turned towards a wicker basket on the table where a little hand was waving in the air.

"Oh Toby." Sarah said moving over to the basket, smiling as she picked up her little brother to tuck him against her shoulder. He gurgled happily and settle down. There was a tug on the hem of her shorts; Sarah glanced down at one of the goblins brave enough to have come up to her.

"Princess Sarah Lady, we gots something for ya from the castle. Maybe help?" the little scrabby creature held out something shiny in its grubby hand for her to see. Sarah carefully took it from the goblin that like the rest of the crowd had this look of expectation in its eyes. For just a moment Sarah thought she saw a little boy where it stood, but knew that that wasn't possible. Once a child was lost to the Labyrinth there was no going back as far as she knew.

In her hand was a small glass vial with a strange oily red iridescent fluid inside. She swished it experimentally. "Where'd you get this?"

"From Kings secret room. King don't want us there, s'not safe he says. But…" the little creature started to wring its hands nervously. But what? Sarah knelt down to eye level with it. "It's alright…?"

"Snork, Princess Sarah Lady!" he said giving his most comical salute similar to a cartoon character. Sarah bit her lip to not smile as hard as she wanted to. "It's alright Snork, go ahead and tell me if you can what else you know."

"We goblins know he been trying to do somethin. Made us get all sorts'a stuff for him from your world Princess Sarah Lady. Got plants and crush them up, make smelly foul potions in secret room. When King disappears, Beggar man told us to go into the room and find the bottle with red stuff in it. Found books too and paper with squiggly bits on it," He said running off into the crowd to fetch the things. From behind him he started pulling more stuff to her; a pile of books from the table came first followed by Snork running to Sarah's side with an armful of parchments that flapped and fluttered as he ran.

Sarah bounced Toby on her hip as she scanned over the parchment's notes written in flowing calligraphic cursive, some words made no sense to her whatsoever while others she had to decipher.

_~Must look into this "Rock and Roll" music from the Aboveground. Will have to have the goblins borrow a means to listen to this music._

_~Note to self: Rock and Roll is very much to my taste. I approve._

_~ Blasted plants are making my nose run! I'd scratch my eyes out of my skull if it would provide some semblance of relief but that won't happen any time soon. Such is life._

_~ This foodstuff from the Aboveground is most fascinating; a paste made from crushed nuts that provides a savory flavor combined with preserve is most interesting when eaten. Perhaps I'll try to find some on my own…_

_~ Although the initial design of the suit was wonderful and efficient at first it's painfully clear now that modifications must be made to the cover and trappings. The fabric is too heavy for hot weather and the gauze must be more convincing if this is too work._

_~ The flowers should to be classified in their own category since I've no idea how they managed to grow in the Undreground before that girl traipsed her way through her. Perhaps they're an invasive species from the Abovground?_

_~Note to self: I've finally found a fitting name for these buggers; unfortunately it took some embarrassing personal experience for it to happen (I will never land on those damned vines when I'm an owl ever again!) Bain strutionum or Owls Bain._

_~The liquid turns a deep red color when applied to heat which may explain why the flowers did so during the hottest moths near the gates where they were found growing. The fumes are noxious and smell close to bathroom soap, however initial testing has uncovered a similar reaction to some spices(Hot too burning sensation, I'll never rub my eyes again after touching the stuff.) Must gather fruit from these plants if they germinate._

How odd, thought Sarah glancing back at the vial again. What could he have been doing with those flowers? And why had the Beggar given the green light to go in and fetch these things? Had he known they were important and planned on giving them to her himself? Was there something more important to know through these notes and books?

Toby hiccoughed breaking her chain of thought.

"Snork, thank you. For now I think we need a plan of action as too where we should start looking."

* * *

A feminine hand touched a silken cocoon in an almost loving manner. Her private quarters were spartan yet beautiful. Crystal spears illuminated the bare rock of the room more glorious than any candle or fire could and where tapestries and carpet should have been were replaced by white or silver spiders thread.

Against the barest wall near her bower, hung with ever dripping webs sparkling with moisture to the point that they were like diamonds on silver thread, the Queen caressed the cocoon stuck to the wall.

"How glorious. I have finally gotten the upper hand and not unlike a spider, I plan to climb the ladder presented to me. And yet…there are loose ends that must be tied up." As she spoke her fingernails began to pop the strands of silk open with fine fingernails until the cocoon gaped open. From the folds slowly stepped a humanoid figure garbed in most impressive armor. Everything about it said insect from the spiny pouldrons, the hard shell chest plate, and beetle black helmet that covered the figure from head to toe without a trace of personality. There was a hive mentality to it as well; there was no individuality or persona, just the one need to serve the queen.

"My love, it has been so long," the queen said brushing her fingers over the antenna of the beetle helmet following the line of it's pincer shaped visor.

"My Champion, my Black Knight, bring the champion of the Labyrinth to me my dearest. I have much to…discuss with our little fly. Do not tarry for they will soon be searching for the lost king. Toy with them if you must, but bring the girl to me unspoiled. It would please me beyond measure," she said stepping away from her Black Knight. It clicked in understanding, it's antenna flickered, stopped, flickered again and the creature was unfolding a pair of bottle green beetle wings that vibrated to life as it flew out of the castle and the Underdeep in search of this so called Champion its Queen desired.

It must make her happy. It lived to serve. Or die trying.


	15. The Quest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song and Lyrics are mine, I specifically made it just for this story. So please don't steal it.

Even though it was Sarah decision for Toby to stay behind on this trip, she still had second thoughts. No, she chided herself, he was in surprisingly good hands; considering that he'd spent the amount of time that he had with the residents of the Labyrinth during her own quest to save him. That morning as she, Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus checked over their small knapsacks or provisions they'd managed to scrounge up, the Wiseman from the hedge maze came outside the cottage with Toby to bid them all Farewell. Toby was having a marvelous time trying to pull at the beak of the birdhat he wore which was having none of it.

"Thank you so much for your generosity," she said holding onto Toby's free hand whilst his other waved in the air attempting to catch the bird hat.

"Think nothing of it young woman. The next generation is often the most important." he said sagely.

"Knock it off you little twerp!" the birdhat cried swinging its neck to avoid the pudgy hand reaching for it. Toby laughed riotously in response.

"Oh I'm going to miss you!" Sarah cried reaching forward to give her brother a big hug before releasing him. "Be good now Tobes. I'll see you soon,ok?" she said waving to everyone else who'd crammed themselves at the doorway to see the group off. Some waved while others called out encouragements.

"Goodbye! We'll do our best!" she called as she walked away from the cottage and into the woods of the Labyrinth.

Hoggle adjusted his bag over his shoulder."Come on, let's get going before anything else happens in this crazy place." Beside him on Ambrosius, Sir Didymus nodded.

"Aye Sir Hoggle, who knows what foul darkness awaits. We must get beyond the borders of the Labyrinth and into the free Underground. If memory serves me still, I believe by the direction we take should lead us out of the woods and towards a small hamlet yon two leagues from here."

Sarah looked skeptically at the fox "Uh, leagues?"

"He means by miles. It's ten miles to the hamlet." Hoggle explained.

"Ah. How long do you think it will take us?" she asked.

Sir Didymus shook his head uncertain. "As we cannot see where the sun is anymore I cannot say for certain." It was true; as Sarah glanced up at the sky it was obvious that the atmosphere wasn't going to allow the sun to shine through for them at all.

Behind her, Sarah heard Ludo whimper piteously. "Sky...gone. Birds gone."

"Oh, I know Ludo. Just keep a good thought that we find the King really fast so we can get back and set things right."

He was right though now that she listened. It was just too quiet in the woods now whereas before when she had passed through them and it had been filed with the sounds of birds, frogs and insects all around her. Now it was as silent as the grave. Like her anxiety wasn't ramped up enough. She tried to get her mind off of the eeriness surrounding them.

Anything would do to break the silence.

"Uh...so…does anyone know any traveling songs?" Oh, why was that the first thing that came out of her mouth, she thought embarrassed.

Sir Didymus's ears perked up at the suggestion"Yay, I might know a few fighting sings from my younger days."

"Ludo sing to rocks," said Ludo contently, a smile on his face.

"Oh spare us please! The last thing we need to hear right now is either the sound of rocks rumbling towards us or about how some guy in a tavern won at arm wrestling or worse." Hoggle gripped covering his ears in emphasis. Sir Didymus snuffed indignantly. "Well what would you sing about then Sir Hoggle? The joy of mining or perhaps spraying flower fairies?"

"Watch it you-!"

"Ok, Ok, Easy everybody, easy! Look I'll settle this by going first, ok?" Sarah interjected between the two.

"Pray sweet lady, dost thou sing?"

"Well sort of...I mean I was in the elementary school choir during Christmas when I was little." although thinking back that had been a while ago.

"Aww, come on Sarah, sing us a song," Hoggle goaded while waggling his eyebrows up at her.

"Well...ok. But it might not be very good, just so you know; sorry if your ears end up bleeding."

She tried to think of a song from off the top of her head; anything from camping songs to choir songs she could remember. Out of the recesses of her memory came one.

_The wind that blows gently through golden fields of grass,_

_comes to whisper like a loves caress._

_These mountains that I see each day enticing me to come,_

_To feel the stars and brush the sky, To fly far beyond._

_Oh I dream of a life beyond here. With the wind as my steed, I would fly._

_To see what lay beyond the mountains, rocky._

_Of far away where I might be free._

_I know that my life has been written in stone,_

_the pages lost as rain fades them away._

_But I know I still yearn for a chance to stray,_

_in field of golden grass my restless body will lay._

_Oh I dream of a life beyond here. With the wind as my steed, I would fly._

_To see what lay beyond the mountains, rocky._

_Of far away where I might be free._

_My bones laid to rest in a field of gold, have long now withered and are old and gray._

_The dream I dreamt of, the wish I did profess._

_Finally on the wind my soul now free to find its way._

_Oh I dream of a life beyond here. With the wind as my steed, I would fly._

_To see what lay beyond the mountains, rocky._

_Of far away where I might be free."_

Sarah finished her last note somberly, looking to see whether or not the group approved or disapproved of her choice of song. Sir Didymus was dabbing tears away with his feathered hat still sitting astride Ambrosius while Ludo lumbered behind them, a small smile noted on his face.

Hoggle appeared to be speechless beside her but wasn't. "Oh Sarah…"

"Oh god, I didn't mean to make you guys sad, I told you I couldn't-"

"Where did you learn to sing like that?" he asked.

"Aye sweet maiden. Never have I heard such a soulful voice before in all my days nor at all the courts I've visited."

Sarah blushed from uncertainty at the compliments her friends gave her. "Come on, I know It was bad. I can't carry a tune to save my life."

At her hip Hoggle frowned "Who told you that?"

"Well...no one...I guess. No one said I couldn't sing either…" She said starting to smile sheepishly. A gust of wind suddenly blew through the trees of the Labyrinth, cold and strong like the sort felt only in the dead of fall just before winter set in. The group stopped in their tracks, frozen, and listened. Ambrosius' ears pricked up and he whined piteously as Sir Didymus reined him in. Ludo lifted his great shaggy head to the sky in question. Hoggle watched the clouds start to gather. "You hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" said Sarah. But there it was, on the wind, faint at first but steadily growing. The sound of vibrations like a hummingbird's wings beating erratically. Her eyes scanned the edge of the trees; there was a spec in the distance, darker against the already dark sky. It was getting closer towards them at a very fast speed. Her gut, her head, and her mouth all said the same thing at the same time.

"R-Run!" she shouted. Together the group started to scramble towards a cops of shrubs; hand over foot in panic until they were undercover. Ambrosius cowered against Ludo yet made no attempt to whine. A few minutes passed with nothing but the wind through the trees but that was soon replaced by the overbearing sound of the vibration of wings.

The group watched as the Black Knight descended from the air; It folded its beetle wings behind it and went to where they all had been standing just a few minutes ago. Sarah watched with a fist clenched to her mouth as the insectoid creature's antennae swiveled around in inspection of the area. A twig snapped by the shrubs. Like a bolt of lightning it swung its head towards their direction and started walking to where they lay in hiding.

Sarah thought, we're not going to make it. Oh god, I wish we'd be saved before this thing find us.

Suddenly something bolted up and over the bushes right at the Black Knight and gave a loud battle cry. From the woods came an answering battle cry when dozens of creatures burst forth from the bushes and started attacking the Black Knight with swords, clubs, and arrows. The battle didn't last long as the knight made a strange gesture that caused a bright flash that blinded everyone. When everyone could blink again the knight was gone.

"Wheew, that was too close for comfort." Hoggle said dabbing his forehead with the back of his sleeve. Sir Didymus shot up from the bushes quite unexpectedly as well as Ambrosius which made it stranger.

Sarah called after him. "Sir Didymus! What are you-?"

The Fox waved excitedly for them to come out as he stood next to their unlikely rescuers. "Come! Come! We're most fortunate this day my friends." Cautiously the group exited the bushes and back into the clearing. Sir Didymus stood next to what looked like a Badger wearing a similar style of clothing with a bow strapped to its back. In fact the entire army was composed of upright animals like Sir Didymus.

"My friends, may I introduce one of my oldest friends to you. This is the famous bowman Rhiannon, The Archer Queen."


	16. Interlude and Storytime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me tell you a story...

_There was once a beautiful woman, a long time ago, when the world knew mystery and magic. Her eyes were as blue as the summer sky and her hair was as golden as wheat in the field. Whenever she smiled others would smile as well not being able to resist. She was much beloved by her people and was well known to everyone. Everywhere she went she brought love and happiness with her. Her life was blessed._

_Her village sat at the bottom of a large green hill in the middle of an ancient forest where strange creatures lived alongside the human villagers. It was known that the hill was the home of a great Fae Court as sometimes there would be lights and laughter at the top of it in the evening as they had their feasts and dances. Neither side bothered the other for there was no reason to do so._

_One morning before anyone else had woken up, the woman felt a pulling inside of her to get up and take a stroll. She dressed and slipped out of her home to go out of the sleeping village to make her way up the hill still moist with dew to watch the sun rise. As she neared the top she saw the outline of a figure standing in the direction of the rising sun, clothed in rich fabrics not of her world. It was a man of strange beauty, his face a mask of youth that hid his true age that could only be seen through his black eyes. A crown of leaves encircled his brow, damp from the moist air that sparkled in the first rays of weak light that also caught his silver hair and pale skin._

_The woman knew this was one of the Fae of the hill. Sensing a presence the Fae turned in her direction; never before that time or in that place had the two races met before._

_"Who are you?" he asked._

_"I just came to watch the sunrise," she said avoiding the question, a smile on her lips. Turning back to the sky he said "Do as you wish." The woman smiled then and he felt his ageless heart soften. Ever on after their first encounter did the two sit side by side to watch hundreds of sunrises, and as time passed they shared more of their lives to each other and opened up. He was a great king in his own land and he would tell her tales of the strange and magical happenings there, of his subjects and traditions._

_He was as powerful as he was ancient revealing to her only just a fraction of the power he possessed; he could command the sea to turn tides, shift the weather to his mood, he even told her that his kind had created their own perfect world to inhabit. She would listen intently to his spun stories with rapt attention, sponging everything up, while he in turn did the same as she recounted her own life in the village below the hill._

_The woman was as fascinated with him as he was with her for their worlds were like night and day. Soon they started meeting beyond the time the sun rose, the Great King slipping away from his own world to join with the woman in hers on their hill. It might have started as curiosity and turned into fondness, but eventually it did turn into genuine love between the mortal woman and the Great Fae King._

_Their love grew and grew, drawing together both of their worlds in more than one way. Soon the mortal woman's stomach was rounded with child. And although most parts of her world would have scorned her for her interactions like they did with so many other human women at that time, her village drew closer to her in encouragement and protection. The Great Fae King was overjoyed at the thought of a child, for in truth Fae children a rare thing._

_And in time a baby boy was born to them, strange and otherworldly, and beautiful. Oh how the woman and King loved their son together. The baby had a magnetic draw and attracted many of the village mothers to his cradle to coo and dote on him. Gifts were brought from both sides, and the couple were congratulated a hundred times over._

_But like most proper stories the golden happiness can't last forever when time is fleeting by. In the Kings world a terrible war was brewing on the horizon that he was being called to fight against. He did not know when or if he might ever see his human love or son again nor they to see him. So on the hill where they'd met the woman and King kissed each other and held each other not daring to let go too soon, and the King held his little boy one last time as they said their goodbyes and before long he disappeared back into the hill._

_Time passed by, day chasing day, season spiraling into season, and the boy grew into a young man who knew he was strange and knew he was different. His nature was that of mischief and tricks, making the wind blow at the village girls skirts or having a cow go cross-eyed were easy feats for him. His mother knew not what to do with her boy at times yet she did her best to teach him manners and to act accordingly. But always there was a wild shifting streak inside of him, something that pulled him unceasingly always outside the village and beyond until one day he could deny his instincts no longer._

_He told his mother that it was time for him to go. Oh how the woman wept, great raindrop tears splashing down her cheeks and onto the floor. She knew this day would come but still couldn't help herself. The young man comforted his mother as well as he could, reassuring her and even managed to cheer her up with a bit of his magic. In the morning before she or anyone else awoke, he packed some things and left his home, not looking back even though he felt a tiny crack start to form in his heart._

_And he disappeared just as his father had._


	17. Heard it Through the Grapevine

Sarah watched entranced as the Archer Queen finished her tale; her own mind's eye lingering on the image of the unlikely couple and their son.

"That's so sad. Do you know what happened to the prince?" she asked.

Rhiannon shook her head as she took a seat on the ground next to Sarah and added another log to the fire. "I'm afraid I've only ever heard that story through the grapevine. I doubt anyone knows where the prince is or if he ever existed at all. However there was a terrible civil war in these parts ages ago, so maybe the story has some truth to it."

By the time the party had stopped it was clear that they had made it to the edge of the woods as they could see the sunset. Ludo had given a great happy rumble that everyone could feel beneath their feet. Fires were kindled, tents set up, and stew was made as most settled in for the night save for a few who took first watch. Rhiannon and her troupe had escorted Sarah and the rest of the rag-tag team deeper still into the woods for a very long time. The Archer Queen, like all of her subjects rode on another sort of beast; some rode great Mastiffs or swift Collies, a few pot bellied pigs outfitted in leather tack, and some of those strange mounts the goblins rode back at the castle. Rhiannon herself rode astride an absolutely massive red rooster whose name apparently was Jax from what Sarah had heard her call it.

Sarah had honestly never seen Sir Didymus so happy before, considering how extroverted he was already. He'd ridden side by side with the Archer Queen talking and occasionally laughing at something the other had said, until they started talking in hushed tones.

" _I hear tell that the King is not on his throne, otherwise this might not be happening."_ Rhiannon had said gravely, hanging her head.

Sir Didymus appeared grave, there was no denying the facts. _"Aye, that much is so. Tis the sole purpose for our quest you see, we must find out where exactly the Goblin King has gone and-rescue him-for lack of better words."_

_"And it's because of this young woman-"_ the badger had nodded her head towards Sarah's direction some feet away, as she'd been talking with another rider and Hoggle. _"-that said king lost his powers too?"_ Sir Didymus nodded. Rhiannon burst into peals of laughter, slapping her knee.

_"That's brilliant! Bloody brilliant! The girl's got stones if she faced him head on like you say she did. 'Bout time someone brought him down a peg or two. Folks been complaining on how he's tried on more than one occasion to push his territory over into theirs; but the Labyrinth wouldn't comply and spread itself out. Even it's stubborn when it comes to that chap. Probably helped her get to the castle, now that I think on it,"_ she'd said stroking her chin scholarly.

_"Perhaps."_ he'd said. _"But pray tell us my friend, do you know of what's going on?"_

Rhiannon nodded turning her attention ahead of her as she spoke. _"I do for it's also happening in the woods as we speak. We were on a hunting party, tracking down those loathsome creatures you spoke of, those spider people, when we came upon you. They seem only to stay in the woods during the day but at night it's when they come out. Many livestock have gone missing as well as a few people; we were called in to push them back until larger reinforcements arrive from the Seelie courts."_

_"Surely this cannot be just pure coincidence."_ said Sir Didymus.

The badger nodded in return. _"Aye. I feel the same."_

* * *

Ludo was out like a light on the ground near the fire, a giant orange mountain that was snoring like a buzz saw. Even Ambrosius was sound asleep on his back ever since Sir Didymus had taken his saddle off next to Ludo. Hoggle himself was propped up against the giant orange mound sleep and Sir Didymus had gone to talk with the other riders hours ago. They'd all done a lot of walking Sarah thought to herself while feeling the ache in her legs.

"We must have walked miles today, my feet are killing me," she groaned rubbing her ankles.

"Tis normal for us to traverse like that some days. You'd get used to it if you stayed with us," Rhiannon laughed.

She was so bone tired. At least the Black Knight hadn't reappeared so that was at least one blessing. Although… she was a little unsettled still thinking about what might have happened if Rhiannon and her group hadn't saved them. And then there was that wish…. It had been in the heat of the moment but still...

Had she really done that? Was that even possible?

"No that can't be right. Things like that don't…"

And he had given her certain powers.

The words echoed around her head. She didn't say anything else about it and left it alone at the call for everyone to dish up some food. "What good's a mind full of questions if you're stomach's empty?" she'd reasoned before walking over to the line of creatures getting bowls. She'd chosen to sit at the fire with them as they ate and told stories or chatted. Rhiannon had stood up to tell her story with her rough powerful voice booming up from her barrel chest to the crowd.

The story had seemed so different, so fairytale-esque to her. She thought about the Great King, so sad an ancient, leaving behind a life of happiness to return to his own world and face its thought about the woman and the loss of both her son and beloved.

She knew mostly from reading myths and legends that fairies and humans could interact like that although it was mostly because the fairies would steal humans away.

The story Rhiannon had told was very different. She wondered then if Humans and Fae could ever truly be together like that. "I wonder if the Beggar is a Fae…" she asked herself recalling the time when she'd felt his arms; how strong and unlike a goblins were. She'd even caught a glimpse of his legs through the ragged trousers an imagined then what he might look like if he stood without hunching over all the time.

"Eh? The Blind Beggar? You know him then?" Rhiannon asked turning towards her, a curious twinkle in the badgers black eyes that watched Sarah. She nodded and said "Yes, he's my friend. I lost him when the Labyrinth was taken. We're looking for him as well as the Goblin King. Why?"

Rhiannon shifted on the grass. "Well now...that's a name I haven't heard in years."

"Wait, you know the Blind Beggar? Rhiannon please, please if you've seen him tell me where he is or at least in what direction he's going!" Sarah felt her heart leap with hope at the first good news of her missing friend.

"Whoa there lass, let me speak before you start running off into the woods on a wild goose chase. Yes I know the man you're talking about. He's quite the well known person as much in the Labyrinth as he is outside of it. He's been known to wander from place to place with his tin cup asking for coin or whatever can be spared. I also know that he's more than just an ordinary beggar though."

Sarah nodded in agreement "I can say the same thing. In fact I'm certain that he isn't a goblin either."

Rhiannon's eyes sparkled brighter. "You're a smart one. That's good, it means you've got a good head on those shoulders and sharp , we saw what looked like a beggar on the road near Gyrrok, the town you're headed towards. I can't say for sure if that was the Blind Beggar but you never know. However there was something else, something strange now that I remember it. we were close to the main road when we spotted some riders coming up on us. We ducked into the bushes and watched to see who it was."

"And who was it? Was it...the Goblin King?" Sarah asked unsure. Rhiannon shook her head.

"I don't think so, there were several people on horses and they were all very well dressed. I suspect that they were Fae gentry. What was odd though was the bit of conversation I caught as they rode past us."

_"Heard there's going to be a wedding of sorts."_ one said.

_"Oh, who's the lucky bride to be?"_ asked another.

_"No one knows. But the groom's supposed to be a king."_

_"Really? Now that is something. Part of the Seelie Court?"_ said another.

_"Not sure. Could be. Heard lots of girls from both courts have been trying to get the Goblin King to marry one of them."_

_"Thats a laugh. Everyone knows as long as the Labyrinth isn't solved that that's impossible."_

_"I heard that is has been solved, and by a mortal."_

_"That's a rumor."_

_"Not sure, could be."_

"It was real odd." Rhiannon recounted.

Sarah groaned "So we need to go to Gyrrok and search there. At least there's that. And it looks like I'm famous, yay for last thing we need at the moment is for more attention to be drawn to us while we search for the King and Beggar."

"Agreed. What you need is a plan. And...I may be able to help you with that."

* * *

Dream Sarah walked down a long hallway made of crystal; there were no turns or corners or anything. It went on and on just like the endless corridor she had had to go through to get into the actual Labyrinth. She turned to look at her reflection and saw that she was wearing the silvery ball gown from the peach dream, even more elegant and beautiful only instead of silver vines en-twisted in her dark hair she wore a crown of glowing stars that shivered and twinkled.

She was glowing in the dark passage and lit the way ahead of her as she continued to walk. She stopped as the crystal hallway ended at a dark wooden door with a silver handle. Sarah tried it but found that it was locked.

From the other side came a voice as hoarse as a ravens. " _Go away."_

She knew that voice; Sarah tried the door again only this time with more force. It wouldn't budge.

_"Go away!'_ the voice commanded her from behind the door again.

"Beggar it's me Sarah. Are you alright? Please let me in!"

_"No."_ came a muffled reply.

"But why? I've come to save you."

_"You...you can't save me Sarah, you don't even want me anymore…"_ his voice tapered off miserably, like a man who'd lost everything and was left with nothing.

Dream Sarah shook her head adamantly from the other side of the door."No. No that's not true. I'd risk everything to find you and make sure you're safe. You're my best friend. Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I'll find you and bring you home."

_"You don't understand Sarah-"_

"No you don't understand dammit! I lo-"

_"You're too late."_ he whispered through the door before a loud flapping of wings and a blast of air blew the door right open. Sarah charged through it without a second thought only to watch helplessly as a white owl soared away into a moonlight sky abundant with stars and away from her.

"No!" she cried out. But the owl was gone.


	18. Faceless I go Unmasked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by the song that's featured in it which happened purely by accident. The first time I heard it on the radio I knew it had to be in this story, so here you go. And from that song came the most emotionally draining chapter I've pumped out in a long time. So here you go. Song's by Gordon Lightfoot, "If You Could Read My Mind." Please go listen to it before or while you read the part its in. It's brilliant, it's beautiful, it's sad.
> 
> Also, get ready for the big reveal. Yeah, you know what that means, I'm not going to spoil it anymore.
> 
> Why are you still here? Hop to it! Oh, also enjoy.

 

* * *

"You sure you don't need anything else before you go?" Rhiannon asked. A few days had passed as the troupe had made its way through the woods to Gyrrok. Sarah nodded, adjusting her satchel. The group stood on the outskirts of the town, much larger than a normal hamlet by far.

"Yeah. I think we've got everything. Rhiannon, thanks for all your help." Sarah smiled.

"Ahh, don't think anything of it lass. You got a quest to be going on and we've got our own job to do. Just make sure you stay safe now, you hear? And keep that rascal safe too." She said pointing her clawed finger at Sir Didymus who pretended to look aghast at the accusation.

"I a rascal? Never have I heard such slander. I, madam, am an honorable Knight and will continue to be thus with my brother Sir Ludo. But for the record, I promise I'll stay out of trouble if it doesn't find me first my friend."

Dawn was never more appreciated as the group turned away from Rhiannon and her company and into the warm sunlight. They had to cross a field to get onto the main road that bordered on the woods. It felt like ages since Sarah had felt the sun on her face. Reaching her arms over her head she stretched feeling her back pop and muscle loosen.

"I hope they'll be alright." she groaned.

Sir Didymus smiled. "Rhiannon's been patrolling these woods for a long time, she's very good at what she does. Although, I will miss her. Perhaps when this is all sorted out I may visit her once more."

Beside him, lumbering along Ludo nodded "Ludo like forest. Good trees. Good rocks."

"I'm glad for what she gave us but did I really need to change into this outfit, the collar's itchy as hell," Hoggle grouched sticking a finger down the inside of his new attire to scratch at the stitching. The plan was to not draw attention to themselves and the only way that was going to happen was for them to blend in while they searched for the missing king and beggar alike. Rhiannon had helped immensely by providing a rather unlikely solution.

The night after her dream she'd called Sarah over to show her the curiosity she first Sarah didn't want to, simply becasue she'd had a rough night and wasn't feeling up to par, but that quickly turned to a guilty concience and she gave in. It had seemed like an ordinary walnut, brown and slightly wrinkled looking appearance that normal walnuts had.

"It's a walnut?" Sarah had said slightly unimpressed. "How is a walnut going to help us out?"

Rhiannon shook her shaggy head. "You see only what your eyes tell you to see lass. Watch this." she said as she knelt down to crack the thick shell on a stone. The brown shell split neatly in half and out popped a flash of blue followed by a glint yellow of fabric. The badger began to pull and pull yet still more fabric came from the little walnut shell until there was no more.

"Whoa," Sarah said, her eyes as big as plates. From behind her Rhiannon pulled out a pair of scissors. Watching with ever growing fascination Sarah saw that instead of cutting away at the gorgeous fabric that Rhiannon was in fact cutting an outfit without the need for stitches. With a final snip of the scissors she held up a pair of trousers and doublet to Sarah who took them awestruck.

"That's incredible!"

Rhiannon took her hand and gently placed the pair of scissors in the before closing her fingers around it. Sarah looked at her in question.

"You're going to need them for your cover. Trust me I don't need them as much as you do. Now come, practice on what's left of the fabric and see if you can make something for that dwarf fellow."

Sarah ran an admiring hand over the blue and yellow doublet she wore now; in her satchel the scissor and three of the magic walnuts were hidden away safely. That had been yesterday. All day in fact, she'd practiced snipping and cutting, making and unmaking over and over again until she got it right before presenting the outfit to Hoggle for him to put on.

"I'm sorry if it's itchy but you'll just have to deal with it. Now come on, what's your story?"

" You know already-"

"Recite it to me again. What's your story Hoggle?" she pressed. He flung up his hands in dismay. "Rupert Flats, merchant. Came here for business and trade; heard any news on the wedding? There, that good enough?"

"Don't worry, I know you'll do fine. Just say your lines, show off some stuff and haggle over it like Rhiannon explain how to."

"You know, my Da used to work with merchants." Hoggle said, a sad wistful look in his eyes.

Sarah gave him a curious look. "Your Dad? You've never talked about your family before Hoggle."

Hoggle waved his hand dismissively. "Never was anyone to talk about it with till you and the others. Never had any friends around."

"Come Sir Hoggle, we're your friends now. Tell us about your noble father and his profession." Sir Didymus prompted.

"Ya gotta remember that this was back before the war started a couple hundred years ago and-"

Sarah stopped him "Wait, wait, wait! A couple hundred? Hoggle, how old are you?" Scratching his chin for a moment Hoggle appeared to ponder over the question. "Well last time I checked I think I was around five hundred and seventy but don't quote me on that. The Labyrinth kind of doesn't change much so anybody living in that area doesn't either."

"Five hundred and seventy...:" Sarah uttered astonished.

"Anyway, as I was saying-it was back before the war started and my Da was one of the gem inspectors at the Blue Diamond mine in the mountains west of the Labyrinths realm. I was just a little mite then, running back and forth doing errands for the other miners while my Da was in the workshop making sure every gem was polished to perfection. There was never a flaw on any of his diamonds; they were always perfect."

"There's just no way to describe the perfection just one of those diamonds carries; like someone plucked out a piece of clear blue sky or something. I ain't no poet but those jewels were one of a kind and still are. Lots of royals wear them, especially the ladies in fine necklaces and diadems." Hoggle recounted, practically gushing.

"They sound spectacular," she said.

"Occasionally I'd get to watch him work out the details with merchants and traders going into the cities or private orders. He as a pretty impressive deal maker too. My family owned that mine for ages. But that all changed when the war happened. When the Unseelie overtook that part of the Underground the mine went with it. I couldn't stand working under those…" Hoggles fist clenched till his knuckles turned white. "...needless to say I split soon after. Haven't seen my old man since."

"Jeeze Hoggle I'm sorry." she said. "So...is that how you came to the Labyrinth?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I wandered around for a couple of years before I ended up at the outskirts. The King offered me a job and I got a roof over my head. Never thought I'd be pulling runners out of that place."

Ahead of them stood the gate to the town entrance, a large brick structure that encompassed the houses and citizens inside. A large wooden door guarded by three elves blocked their way from further venturing on.

The middle of the three, a man with brown hair and to Sarah, medieval clothing like what appeared to be normal around these parts, stepped forward to greet them. She also noted from a quick glance that he had a sword on his belt.

"Here we go." she whispered.

"What a strange group you are to be traveling through these parts." he said.

"So we've been told. We'd like to come in, if that's alright?" she asked.

He nodded, although there was something a bit off to his smile. " That's fine, granted your papers are in order."

"Papers?"

"Yes, your travel papers." he said.

The group looked on blankly.

"Oh don't tell me you don't have them." he said irritate.

Sarah gulped "We...don't?"

"Well then I can't let you pass without them."

"What? Why?"

"Orders, miss."

Sir Didymus growled "Now look here you fiend, by whose orders are you following that cannot allow us into the town? And why do we need these papers?"

"By order of His Majesty The Greater King, Lord of the White Court, Protector of the Underground and King of the Ruby Isle's; All places of commerce, interest, and inhabitation shall be subject to regulated investigations via documentation in order to track and record all known whereabouts of the citizens in regards to the treaty agreed upon between the Black and White Courts." He replied in a rather droll and rehearsed voice as if he'd done this several times that morning.

"Translation, pointy ears!" Hoggle barked up at him.

Leaning down so he could remark snidely to Hoggles face. "We don't like spies. No papers, no entry."

"But-but that's not fair!" Sarah accused.

"I don't make the laws miss."

"But we've got to get in."

Sidling up to Sarah he said very quietly so only she could hear "You could always make a...donation." he said lewdly. Was he suggesting-? Inwardly Sarah screamed in disgust at what he was obviously trying to do. It was the final nail in the coffin.

Instead of recoiling from him Sarah looked him straight in the eyes and said "And I wish you'd go jump off the ledge into the Bog of Eternal Stench."

"What?" he said puzzled. But a strange thing happened then; his face went blank for a moment before he turned towards the other two guards and said "Excuse me, I'm off," and started walking back in the direction of the Labyrinth. The other two guards looked at each other and sprinted off after him trying to stop his relentless march.

The group watched as the three figures became smaller and smaller. "What...just happened." said Hoggle.

"I don't know." Surprised, Sarah glanced around checking to make sure if anyone else besides them had seen what just happened. There was nobody around. While the others stared of into the distance she turned back to the gate and jogged over to it.

Looking up at it she shrugged. "Well...I'll take this as a sign then. Come on guys!" she said waving them over to help her push the door open. Once inside the four of them strolled down the main roadway, cobblestone beneath their feet as they entered the town of Gyrrok. Around them Fae people went about their lives as some went off to market, led strange animals away, worked and went about the daily grind.

And from the railing of a second story building sat an owl watching them.

* * *

After some investigative work, and a little bit of searching the group finally found an Inn. The moment the door opened they were assaulted by the smell of cheap pipe tobacco, ale, and the musty smell of cured food and smoke coming from the kitchen fire. It was muggy and dim inside.

Sir Didymus went to the stables next door to put away Ambrosius and Ludo went with him at his request. "Come Sir Ludo, let us explore this fine city together." This also solved the dilemma of Ludo trying to fit through the small doorway of the Inn.

"I'm going to go do my spiel and see if anyone's heard anything. Or at least get some juicy rumors," Hoggle chuckled adjusting the hem of his new jacket. Sarah nodded. "Good luck then. I'm going to see if I can get us a room. Stay in eye sight, I don't want to lose you in a crowd." She waved him off and started in the opposite direction. Not only was it crowded inside, it was noisy. So when she bumped against someone she had to practically shout over the sound of others to apologize. Across the counter polishing a plate was a woman. She was rather freckled and had a loose braid in her blond hair that reached the back of her waist. She smiled as Sarah got to the counter.

"Greetings, what can I do for you today?" she said putting down the plate.

"I'm hoping to get a room for the next few days for myself and my companions."

"That's fine. How many in your party?"

"Four-well, scratch off one, he's too big to fit in here." Sarah scratched the back of her neck.

"That big troll fellow? He can nest in the stables if that's alright." The woman replied.

"Oh, thanks."

"Alright, so three in the group-we've got a large room but only one bed I'm afraid. Will that be alright?"

"Yeah we can do shifts."

"Ok. That's going to be ten gold then."

"Uh…"

The woman cocked her head to the side. "Is there a problem?"

"We...don't really…" Sarah's face grew hot with embarrassment.

"Oh...well we can't exactly-ah!" the woman appeared to flinch before lowering her hands below the edge of the counter. Curious, Sarah peered over the edge and saw that the woman was very, very pregnant; she rubbed the sides of her round stomach soothingly, murmuring softly to it. Sarah also noted that her dress and apron had seen much better days what with its patched up holes and stains.

"Sorry, looks like nap time's over." she said looking back up at Sarah apologizingly.

Moistening her lips, Sarah knew that she had a plan. "Listen, can I be frank with you?"

"Sure."

"That dress is pretty sad looking."

The woman nodded, a hint of shame turning her cheeks pink. "Don't have much time or money to take care of it Miss. Especially since I'm expecting and all. Been trying to save up some extra money for a set of cloths for this one here," she indicated to her rotund belly. "But...it's just been so damned slow since the treaty was signed. Not many people come through here these days."

"Yeah, that guy at the gate was a real thrill." Sarah replied sarcastically. "Well today's your lucky day if you so choose it to be. I can take care of that dress for you and maybe even those baby cloths."

"Your jesting." the woman replied. "Why? You a seamstress or something?"

Conspiratorially Sarah leaned in. "Nope. I've got a pair of magic scissors."

The woman's eyes got big. "D-do you really? Truly?! And you really could help me?"

"I'd trade you. The cloths in exchange for the room the next few days." The woman only hesitated for a moment before saying "I-yes!"

Feeling relieved,Sarah smiled back at her. "Great."

"But." The woman said holding up her index finger. Uh oh, Sarah gulped, not again.

"I want to watch you do it to make sure you're not lying. Deal?" she held out her hand. Seeing that that was a fair enough trade for the rooms Sarah nodded, placing her hand in the woman's to give it a firm shake.

"Deal. What your name?" she asked.

"Anja."

"Pretty, mines Sarah."

* * *

Sarah stepped outside the tavern just to get away for a few minutes and clear her head. The smell of the moist enclosed air in the building coupled with the smoke had finally gotten to her after spending all day behind the counter talking to Anja while snipping at the fabric she'd been given to make her dress. She'd turned out to be a cheerful woman, always making a joke about something or another, always giving the regular customers a smile when they came to her.

Anja had brought them both some lunch from the kitchens earlier, her plate being a bit fuller than Sarah's. Anja had told her it was her first baby, so she was just making sure it was a healthy one, thank you. They'd talked, and laughed the entire afternoon way until Sarah was nearly done with the dress and stood up saying she was going to take a break.

It had become overcast with rain clouds apparently. In the flickering light of the lantern hanging by the doorway she watched as the rain drizzled on to collect in shallow puddles on the road. The door behind her opened and an elven couple hurried out, their arms around each other as they laughed and disappeared into the night and for just a split second Sarah felt her heart tighten at the sight of them.

It was then that her ears caught the distinct sound of a guitar being played in the distance and a voice starting to sing.

A very familiar voice.

_"If you could read my mind love,_

_What a tale my thoughts could tell._

_Just like an old time movie,_

_'Bout a ghost from a wishing well."_

_In a castle dark or a fortress strong_

_With chains upon my feet-"_

As if in a trance Sarah began to follow the haunting melody down the dark road to an alleyway. And although it looked dubious she took a deep breath and darted down it.

_"-You know that ghost is me._

_And I will never be set free,_

_As long as I'm a ghost that you can't see."_

The music was just a bit louder now as she hurried down the damp alleyway before bursting out onto another street lit alight with lamps. She looked around almost desperate in an attempt to find the one she knew who sang. If he really was this close-If he was really here then-!

_"If I could read your mind love,_

_What a tale your thoughts could tell._

_Just like a paperback novel,_

_The kind the drugstores sell."_

The corner of her eye saw the edge of a ragged cloak disappear around the corner to her right. Quickly she followed as if the devil were on her heels. She wasn't going to give up so easily. Sarah ran now, following the music down a flight of stairs, the memory of when she searched for Toby in the Escher room and searched for the Beggar flickering in her mind. She took off at the end of the stairs to her left as the music swelling around her.

_"When you reach the part where the heartaches come,_

_the hero would be me."_

"Wait!" she cried out to the dark town.

_"Heroes often fail."_

The Beggars voice echoed. His voice continued to sing on, melancholy.

_"And you won't read that book again_

_Because the ending's just too hard to take."_

Sarah continued to follow the music through twists and turns of the hamlets empty streets, always looking, always searching for her Beggar.

_"I walk away like a movie star_

_Who gets burned in a three way script."_

Eventually she ended up in some sort of park like where she used to practice her lines from the Labyrinth. When she'd been a princess in tennis shoes and jeans wearing a costume. In fact it was so similar that she had a fleeting feeling she was back home again and this was all just part of another dream. She stopped. Unable to see which direction he'd gone or where the music came from anymore. "Oh where are you?" she said running her hands through her hair.

_"Enter number two,_

_A movie queen to play the scene_

_Of bringing all the good things out in me,_

_But for now love let's be real."_

It was through the frame of tree trunks that she saw him, his back turned to her as he sat on the ledge of a stone bridge, a small lake behind him backlit by the moon reflected on the water as the sky cleared. He wore the same ragged blue cloak and hat she'd familiarized with him only now-she blinked. As he turned his head in her direction his profile was visible.

She could see the outline of his face, the face of a man with a bandage over his eyes.

_"I never thought I could act this way_

_And I've got to say that I just don't get it._

_I don't know where we went wrong_

_But the feelings gone and I just can't get it back."_

Walking very carefully, she held her breath as she made her way to the end of the bridge to watch him. In the moonlight his face was almost ghostly white, its sharp angles exaggerated by the shadows in a strikingly familiar way, although she couldn't be certain of anything.

_"If you could read my mind love,_

_What a tale my thoughts could tell._

_Just like an old time movie_

_'Bout a ghost from a wishing well._

_In a castle dark or a fortress strong_

_With chains upon my feet,_

_The story always ends."_

_"If you read between the lines_

_You'll know that I'm just trying to understand_

_The feeling that you lack."_

_"I never thought I could feel this way_

_And I got to say that I just don't get it._

_I don't know where we went wrong_

_But the feelings gone_

_And I just can't get it back."_

Just as his song ended he disappeared once again like the ghost from the song. It was so sudden and for Sarah- frustrating beyond belief.

"Dammit." she muttered quietly although she wanted to scream it from the top of her lungs as she made her way to where he'd been. Every time she felt like she was close to getting him back he always slipped away. It had been a beautiful song but she wanted the singer more.

"Look I...I don't know what you want me to do. I'm trying to find you and I'm trying to make this right again. Enough with the damned hide and seek already. Just let me find you so I can say I'm sorry."

"Sarah."

Gasping, she looked around but the Beggar was nowhere.

"Where are you? Answer me!" she cried out.

"Sarah." The voice said again. She felt something strange-some presence near her-that gently caressed her cheek as if an invisible hand had soothed her.

"Is it you?" she asked tentatively.

"It is." he answered. Another hand graced her face, soft and longingly tracing the curve of her other cheek while its twin rested at her jawline.

"What's happened to you? Please tell me so I can do something to make it right."

There was a long pause and then a ragged breath drawn from her invisible companion..

"I'm under a powerful curse my dear. I've been since the day we met."

"A-a curse? What curse? What are you talking about?"

"I've wronged you. I never intended for it to be like this at all; not once was I truthful to you. From the very start. Once I thought it no more than a passing fancy like my kind is known for...but I was wrong. It's become so much more."

"What are you saying?"

"Only that you completed the curse in full when you said those words…" he tapered off.

"The words? What wor-" It was then that she knew without uncertainty. Like a bolt of lighting to her very heart Sarah knew then and there who and what the Beggar was. Who he'd been the whole time. All of those times together, the days spend in each others company, the absence at the castle, even his appearance. It all made sense in that moment.

Her eyes filled with tears and she backed away.

"You're him aren't you?"

All was silent as if the very air was ashamed.

"You're the Goblin King."

"...yes."

Sarah was beyond words, the rage and betrayal boiling over inside her until she couldn't contain it. "Damn you, damn you, damn you, damn you!" she accused him while screamed at nothing.

"I can't even hit your face you bastard! You coward! How could you!? Why?!" she screamed as hot angry tears spilled down her cheeks."Was this just another part of your game from before? Was anything you told me true? All this time you pretended to be-I thought that- No this isn't-" she tried denying it but it was no use.

Sarah squeezed her eyes tight. His hands found her shoulders, shrugged them off and batted them away she turned to brace her arms on the ledge of the bridge overlooking the water. Jareth waited silently for that was all he could do now as he watched her shake all over in the throws of betrayal of trust. He'd lost his powers, his kingdom, and now even the respect regardless of how false and fragile it had been with Sarah. It was out of his hands now.

Even in the state he was in due to the curse, he was still able to physically feel as he in turn leaned his arms on the ledge so the two of them were shoulder to shoulder. From the vantage point he had he could see Sarah staring into the water intensely, her face ashen.

"I hate you."

"...I know." he said looking away at the water's surface. The night sang around them, frogs croaked to each other, water reeds swayed in the breeze, the stars above the tree canopy looked wane as they hid behind the grey streaks of clouds. The only thing that stayed fixed in the motion of the night was the moon. It might have been lovely, thought Sarah. No, she corrected herself, it was lovely except for the man next to her on the bridge. She'd really fallen for it hook-line-and sinker. She'd really trusted him and cared...a lot more than she wanted to think about now.

"The water."

Sarah blinked. "W-what?"

"The moon on the water, if you could describe it with one word what would it be?" Neutral ground for them both as he held out the olive branch to her. But was it too late thought Jareth as he stared at the rippling water. Could she save him or would she leave him to drown?

Shrugging Sarah replied "I don't know um…Why does this matter now?" she huffed aggravatedly. When no reply came she went back to looking deeply at the water's silvery surface, concentrating on the word that wanted to come from the image.

"Celestial." she replied finally.

"Indeed. Have you ever once thought of the power that words can carry? To bring joy, to cause pain, to anger, to heal?"

"Not really...I mean, yes-what are you getting at Goblin King?"

He sighed heavily beside her and although he had no physical appearance Sarah almost felt how exhausted he sounded.

"Words Sarah. Words have power and you have the power to wield them. The curse was simply dormant for as long as I was King and the Labyrinth was unchanged. The Labyrinth and I have been in a state of fixed time for ages. But that changed the moment you came into the picture. I turned my world upside down and I did it all for you and in doing so someone took advantage of the opportunity to complete the curse. "

She interjected before he could continue. "That doesn't change the fact that you stole Toby- and if you think for one minute that you're going to try and take him away again then I swear I'll-"

"I let you win."

"You-? I-wha- why?" she sputtered astonished.

"I'm not sure myself; only that I'm tired of playing both fool and king. Listen carefully though Sarah, you can hate me till time runs out and the world stops turning but if you choose to abandon this quest and return to your world, that's fine. You'll go home and it might be the same, who knows, it might not be. I have no power anymore and am simply nothing more than a ghost now. I also have nothing left to hide because of it. Just remember that the Labyrinth and all who reside there will perish if nothing is done to stop whoever cast the curse to begin with."

Jareth continued. "Whoever cast it is in need of an ungodly amount of power. My powers. You are the only one that can still break this curse Sarah. I…" Jareth swallowed thickly and continued.

"I have no power over you, but you still have power over me; you have from the start. Without that I would be nothing now, truly dead and gone from this world all together. But there is a part of you inside that wants me to stay, as much as you hate the thought."

" _...And He had given her certain powers…_ " she recited feeling a mix of nostalgia and deja vu. "So that's what it meant… you really did give me your powers. I really was able to do those things like wishes back there."

"Only a fraction of it. The curse still hinders what's left of me."

"Explain it then since this is all a lot to take in and my head's about to burst." she said. He had the nerve to laugh albeit it sounded hollow.

"I'm still able to take form, but only when morning comes do I revert into that of an owl. When night takes over I become a specter as I am now."

She pushed herself off of the ledge and away, criticizing "This is crazy!"

Jareth's hand came to rest gingerly on her left shoulder after a moment, unsure if she would rebuff his gesture once again. When nothing happened he squeezed gently, hoping silently that it was reassuring.

"This is magic."

His sudden intake of breath as her hand found his in return made Sarah smirk slightly. Guess I do have some power after all, she thought wickedly.

"You're right. I hate you, but your right."


End file.
